Is dancing dangerous for those over eighty?

I would have to say that would be up to the person and their Doctor,if their health is in ok shape I can’t see why not.

No. I wouldn’t recommend Twerking, but life is for the living.

I don’t see a connection between dancing and having a stroke. And dancing regularly probably contributed to her longevity.

My mother had a stroke while playing bridge when she was 76. She just turned 90. She had a long rehab, but has not walked unaided since, from left side deficit. She lost her driver’s license for the same reason.

Dancing is a form of exercise, and one way to fend off strokes is to get regular exercise.

The question is, should we stop living our lives because of a chance of something happening? She may have had a stroke at any point, it just happened during her dancing activity.

If she had no contraindication for physical activity for other reasons (always according to her physician), then I do not see why she should have had avoided dancing. From the details you give us it seems she was wise to make safe choices for her (she chose to attend a Senior Citizens Dance Club). The only real thing she could have done to prevent a stroke would have been a detailed check up ;)

dangerous for some, therapeutic for others. Dancing is probably a major factor in your friend’s arrival at an impressive 96.

Well, of course we all know regular exercise is good for health. But going dancing once a week? I don’t see how that could be good for a lady in her eighties. Six nights a week she just cooked then sat around watching tv.
I think her living to ninety six had to do with genetics. Her three sisters all lived past ninety. Her brother, a heavy smoker, died in his seventies. Her daughter is in her eighties now; her son seventy five March first, still working and traveling.
One analogy I want to bore you with is a man in his seventies who was a friend of my father’s. The guy lived a sedentary life . One day he wanted to cut down a tree , began yanking on his chain saw over and over again and fell over dead in the yard.

The dancing was OK. She should have skipped the stroke.

I’m sure it added to the overall quality of her life, I’m all for that.

Dancing isn’t intrinsically dangerous for someone over eighty.

However, participating in any strenuous or otherwise physically-demanding activity once a week and otherwise living a sedentary life can be.

Puhlease. How about drug induced comas for all over 65 so nobody hurts themselves having fun. Dancing didn’t cause her stroke. Neither did the other physical activity I bet she was participating in twice a week.