Post created by Elsie
Most of us are already aware of what Tik Tok is, but for the possible few who have yet to jump on the wagon, I’ll take a moment to explain. Tik Tok is a short-form video sharing app that allows its users to share up to 15 second videos about any topic. It started off as the Musical.ly app in 2014 which allowed solely for lip synching music and songs. However, in November 2017, Music.ly was taken over by a Chinese company called BtyeDance, and rebranded into the app everyone is crazy about today–Tik Tok. It’s platform expanded past only lip-synching to allow its users to share video content on almost everything topic imaginable. Today is 2020, Tik Tok is one of the fastest growing social media platforms in the world. With over 800 million active users worldwide, it’s safe to say that the app is both addictive and entertaining to many.
This brings us to how it relates to Anatomy and Physiology. Tik Tok is known for its unique and creative dance trends, challenges, creations, and routines. It’s no surprise that this key aspect of the app has existed from the start and only thrived considering its original Music.ly roots. It has been responsible for shooting up the popularity of artists’ songs to #1 spots, like Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, and other artists. You may be asking by now, “Well, that’s all fine and good, but how does this affect our bodies in any way?” I’ll tell you, it’s the dancing. From Renegade, to Say So, to WAP, to Savage, to countless other catchy earworm bops, they all come with iconic dance routines performed by millions on Tik Tok.
Personally, I don’t actually have a Tik Tok account (gasp, shocker I know), but every single one of my friends do, and I have often found myself being pulled into their short energetic videos. Or watching amusedly from the sideline. Though the dance routines may only last for 15 seconds, the practice that often goes into perfecting them can take far longer. This had me wondering, can being on Tik Tok help your physical health thanks to dance? It in fact can! Dance is known to be a wonderful activity for people of all ages to engage in to stay fit and healthy. No matter what the dance, it provides as wide range of physical and mental benefits for those who engage in it. From improving the condition of your heart and lungs, to increasing your special awareness, and improving coordination dance serves as a great and fun way to get your exercise.
One of the many physical benefits dance offers is that it improves the individual’s balance and strength. Jonathan Tylicki, a professional dancer and director of education for AKT, a boutique fitness rooted in the concept of dance, explains how dance incorporated movement from all planes of the body. Movements from everyday life like walking, running, or cycling always happen in the sagittal plane, but with dance, the body engages in lateral and rotational movement which pinpoints and conditions all the muscles. Another advantage of participating in any dance is that it counts as cardio workouts! This in turn, helps to improve one’s cardiovascular health, strengthening the heart and lungs. It also helps to tone muscles, build stronger bones which lessen the risk for osteoporosis, increase agility and flexibility, and help with weight management. Dance also comes in a variety of forms, allowing people who may have limited mobility or chronic health issues to still partake, but adjust styles to what they are capable of.
Next are some of the mental benefits dance provides. First it boosts cognitive performance. It has been found in studies that parts of the brain associate with memory, organization, and planning have improved coupled with exercises like dance. Memorizing all the steps in a routine then performing them with perfection takes some brainpower it seems. Dancing has also been found to positively effect people’s moods. It can serve as a healthy outlet for stress while also decreasing anxiety and depression. Not to mention dancing can also boost self-esteem and self-confidence.
Overall, dancing improves one’s general and phycological wellbeing, bring confidence, fun, and exercise into people’s lives. So the next time you hop on to Tik Tok, jump on the most recent dance challenge, and churn out a 15 second video that required hours of coordination and practice, know that it was all worth it. In the end, not only will you be receiving the reward of views, likes, and comments, but your body will also benefit physically and mentally. Whether your muscles get a great workout, or you spend hours laughing with friends creating memories while you try to get the timing just right, or you want to escape for the dim reality of the world and lose yourself in joyous entertainment, Tik Tok provides everyone something to look forward to in this time and I hope it will continue to do so in the future.
References:
Carson, Biz. “How a Failed Education Startup Turned into Musical.ly, the Most Popular App You've Probably Never Heard Of.” Businessinsider.com, Business Insider, 28 May 2016, 6:21 AM, www.businessinsider.com/what-is-musically-2016-5.
“Dance-Health Benefits .” Edited by Better Health Channel, Better Health.vic.gov.au, Department of Health & Human Services, State Government of Victoria, Australia , 2020, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/dance-health-benefits.
Lang, Cady. “The Best TikTok Dances of 2020 So Far.” Time.com, Time USA, 29 Aug. 2020, 11:00 AM, time.com/5880779/best-tiktok-dances-2020/.
Lee, Dami. “The Popular Musical.ly App Has Been Rebranded as TikTok.” Theverge.com, The Verge , 2 Aug. 2018, 1:27 PM, www.theverge.com/2018/8/2/17644260/musically-rebrand-tiktok-bytedance-douyin.
Lindberg, Sara. “8 Benefits of Dance.” Edited by Daniel Bubnis, Healthline.com, Healthline Media , 10 May 2019, www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-dance#takeaway.
Mohsin, Maryam. “10 TikTok Statistics That You Need to Know in 2020 [Infographic].” Oberlo.com, Oberlo, 3 Sept. 2020, www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics.
“What Is TikTok? – The Fastest Growing Social Media App Uncovered.” Influencermarketinghub.com, Influencer MarketingHub, 26 Oct. 2020, influencermarketinghub.com/what-is-tiktok/.