Ball room dances as physical exercise in old people who assist to the “Caja de Compensación Familiar” in the city of Manzinales, Colombia

Physical activity and physical exercise have been considered as one of the strategies in the promotion of health and the prevention of illnesses: with even more reason in older people, who change from an active working life to a life that could lead to sedentarism or physical inactivity. In this sense, physical activity and physical exercise, allow them to reach, in the most secure way, the objectives that the institutions for the care of old people propose i.e.: improve or maintain physical capacity, cultivate new social relationships and enjoy themselves in a recreative atmosphere. The practising of exercise and leading a physically active life, are proposals that have become more important in the last decades, with respect to the promotion of health and the prevention of illnesses in old people. In our findings we show that old people assume ballroom dancing as a form of being physically active, apart from the joy and pleasure produced by this activity. These people, on feeling an improvement in their physical and mental health, consider that dancing becomes an important, enjoyable activity in the midst of their routine.