{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T12:20:46Z","timestamp":1764937246973,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,19]],"date-time":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1613692800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003407","name":"Ministero dell\u2019Istruzione, dell\u2019Universit\u00e0 e della Ricerca","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2017FJSM9S"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2017FJSM9S"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003407","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Ballroom dance practice might play a pivotal role for successful aging, but its effects could differ depending on dancers\u2019 experience level. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of six months of ballroom dance (three times\/w) on physical fitness and reaction time (RT) in 24 middle-aged adults who are experienced dancers (age: 59.4 \u00b1 11.6 years). Body composition, handgrip test (HG), standing long-jump test (SLJ), step test (ST), one-legged stance balance test (OLSB), and RT were assessed before (T0) and after six months (T6) of dance practice. RT was re-evaluated four months later (T10). RT was significantly (p &lt; 0.05) lower at T6 (221.2 \u00b1 20.3 ms) and T10 (212.0 \u00b1 21.9 ms) than T0 (239.1 \u00b1 40,7 ms); no significant differences were found between T6 and T10. No significant differences were observed for all the other parameters between T0 and T6: weight and muscle mass were significantly lower (p &lt; 0.01) in females than in males, and percentage of fat mass was significantly higher (p &lt; 0.01) in females than in males. HG was significantly higher in males than females (p &lt; 0.01). Results suggest that in experienced middle-aged adults of both genders, ballroom dance may positively influence RT, and this result could be maintained for four months.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph18042036","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,19]],"date-time":"2021-02-19T20:54:08Z","timestamp":1613768048000},"page":"2036","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Effects of Ballroom Dance on Physical Fitness and Reaction Time in Experienced Middle-Aged Adults of Both Genders"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2955-0498","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valerio","family":"Bonavolont\u00e0","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, School of Medicine, University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6539-7796","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Greco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, \u201cMagna Graecia\u201d University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}]},{"given":"Umberto","family":"Sabatini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Institute of Neuroradiology, Magna Gr\u00e6cia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0439-5420","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco J.","family":"Saavedra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Centre for Sports Sciences, Health and Human Development Sport Sciences Department, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8616-5372","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesco","family":"Fischetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sense Organs, School of Medicine, University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6227-3571","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlo","family":"Baldari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1419-4550","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Guidetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cNiccol\u00f2 Cusano\u201d University, 00166 Rome, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8666-0461","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Grazia","family":"Vaccaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuroscience Centre, Magna Graecia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}]},{"given":"Gian Pietro","family":"Emerenziani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, \u201cMagna Graecia\u201d University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,2,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"A Review of the Effects of Physical Activity and Exercise on Cognitive and Brain Functions in Older Adults","volume":"2013","author":"Bherer","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. 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