On Thursday 15 January, the Consulta Europa headquarters in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria hosted the launch of the European ERASMUS+ Sport STEP-BY-STEP project, an initiative led by the Abrazos en Movimiento Association, with the participation of Consulta Europa as a partner organisation. The project aims to design and implement an Argentine tango programme for older people, with the aim of maximising the physical, cognitive and emotional benefits of this practice, within the framework of European policies to promote active ageing and health.
The event brought together professionals and organisations from the fields of sport and physical activity, social and health services, as well as associations for older people and people with cognitive impairment, and people interested in learning about new movement-based strategies to improve the quality of life of older people.
During the meeting, the STEP-BY-STEP project was presented in detail, including its objectives, approach and next phases of work, together with a study of good practices and a review of the scientific literature focusing on the benefits of Argentine tango for older people and people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. This content allowed the project to be placed within an evidence-based framework.
The day also included a 40-minute practical Argentine tango class for beginners, designed to be accessible and adapted to the target group, which allowed participants to directly experience the application of tango as an intervention tool in a safe and controlled environment, in line with the project’s objectives.
The STEP-BY-STEP project is based on studies that show that Argentine tango and other forms of dance help to improve balance, coordination, mobility and body awareness, as well as boosting mood, memory and socialisation in older people. In this sense, tango is proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention of interest in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as a complementary tool for promoting active lifestyles.
The launch event marked the start of the STEP-BY-STEP project’s activities, which will continue to develop over the coming months with the aim of advancing the design of a structured, evidence-based intervention aimed at older people and transferable to different contexts and entities in the social, health and sports fields.