LAB:SYNC’s Dr. Aston K. McCullough will present new findings from a recent study on the relationship between free-form dance exposures , energy expenditure, and acute changes in mindfulness and affect to the Department of Occupational Therapy at Tufts University. In his talk, “Solo, free-form dance: Uncovering health benefits associated with moving to your own delight” McCullough will define the absolute and relative intensities of free-form dance, as well as describe its impact on state mindfulness and mood, among a cohort of 18- to 85-year-old adults. The talk will be held on March 26 at 12PM.
Full description—
Free-form dancing requires no prior training, very little space, and perhaps not even what one would typically think of as “music”—the freedom to dance however one wishes is available to everyone right where they are. This talk introduces both acute physiological and psychological responses to engaging in solo, free-form dancing among a cohort of 18- to 83-year-old adults with a range of 0 to 56 years of prior dance training. We will discuss the relative and absolute physical activity intensities of solo, free-form dancing, review the relationship between free-form dancing and changes in state mindfulness, and introduce a novel algorithm for identifying motor activity patterns related to curiosity using wearable sensors.