Your body as a dancer is your most important tool. You can’t dance your best when your body is not feeling good. Here are some tips to take care of your body as a dancer on nutrition, hydration, and important training tips to keep your body in great dancing condition.
Hydrate! hydrate! hydrate
Water is a must-have during any type of physical activity but dancers need to hydrate much more frequently. Your water bottle is nearly as important a part of your kit as your dance shoes. Not only does water keep you hydrated during your routine. It can clear out toxins from your body, speed up recovery and keep your brain functioning properly to remember the routines.
Essential rule of being a dancer: keep a water bottle with you at all times.
It’s crucial to recognize why and when your body is becoming dehydrated. Dancers lose an average of 6 to 9 cups of water from sweating. Other reasons for dehydration include inadequate fluid intake or eating too much protein. And not enough carbohydrates. common symptoms of dehydration include:
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth
- Loss of appetite
- Flushed skin
- Light-headed
- Muscle spasms
- Tendons numbness
- Headache
In one practice session, event or class, suggests drinking a cup of water every 15 minutes to avoid dehydration. Fluids are especially important after class and rehearsal, but make sure to steer clear of carbonated drinks and fruit juice. Drinking tons of fluids is a simple.
Choose foods that are rich in water like watermelon, strawberries, broccoli, cucumbers. Drink water and snack on these throughout long practices or workshops. You’ll feel hydrated the whole time.
Eat the right things at the right times
A healthy diet is important but often hard to stick to when you are running from a class to rehearsal to audition to show, often all in the same day. A decent nutritious breakfast – whether you feel like it or not – will help to curb the ‘unhealthy snack’ instinct. When hunger does strike. Try to have some fruit, nuts or something else that is healthy and portable to hand in advance. Before the chocolate machine or the burger bar lures you into their web of sin.
If you’re experiencing joint and muscle pain, means your body as a dancer needs Vitamin C. Orange perhaps or raspberries or drink red raspberry tea. If you need some extra help focusing in class, then eat or drink more antioxidants!
Also, make sure to keep your meals at least 1-2 hours before you start dancing. Your meal should be high in complex carbohydrates that will give you energy throughout your class. And If you’re dancing for a longer period of time, then make a fruit/veggie smoothie to-go will definitely help. Blueberries, dark chocolate and green tea are a great way to get your fill of antioxidants, which help with focus and memory.
You have to stretch your body as a dancer regularly
Many of us start our dance sessions with a static stretch. But you actual your body as a dancer needs other forms of exercise. Dance also activates endorphins that create a natural sense of well-being. This in effect motivates people to become even more social and more actively involved in bracing activities like dance.
want to get your body warm before you start stretching. Keep your body as a dancer flexible and increase your range of motion by stretching regularly. Once the dance workout has come to an end, always remember that you need to cool down. You have to do a couple of stretching exercises for this one. Spending 5 minutes on stretches will relax and burn calories at the same time. Though dancing is a strenuous physical activity on its own, other forms of exercise can supplement your training.
Stretching improves flexibility. Your body as a dancer needs stretches. The more you stretch, the more you move your muscles, and the more flexible you become . Over time, stretching will become easier for your body which results in improved flexibility.
After you dance, don’t sit or lay down right away – take some time to cool down your body.
Stretching is also beneficial to improve your posture. Poor posture is a common and increasing problem can easily be reversed and healed with daily stretching. Because stretching strengthens your muscles and encourages proper alignment. Your body posture will be less slouched and more vertical. The more you prepare your muscles for any exercising movement, the more your likelihood of injury is decreased. When your muscles are warm and stretched.
Warm up exercises and cool down to prevent injury
For your body as a dancer. It is essential to understand the importance of warm up and cool down to prevent injury and fatigue. It is important to be aware we are all unique and each of us responds to physical dance practice differently. However fundamental training principles apply to everyone. It is essential that time is given to warm up and cool down as they will improve your physical ability. And accelerate the recovery process after dance practice.
Teachers start classes with warm-ups for a reason. A good warm-up helps get your muscles ready to move. So you’re less stiff and less prone to pulling or straining something, in addition. It’s also important to stay warm while you’re not dancing. If you decide to take a break and wait on the side. Make sure to cover up so you don’t catch a cold, your body as a dancer doesn’t need that. And do a quick warm-up before you go back on.
Listen to your body as a dancer and give it a break
Yes, I know that you want to push through pain and keep dancing. Injury or fatigue are clear signs that your body needs to rest or heal. Because If you dance on a sick/injured body. You’ll only be making it worse. Don’t be afraid to take a break. It’s not a setback, but an investment to come back even better.
When your body as a dancer needs break. It becomes easy to put the success of your group over your own well-being. But you have to be well in order to be able to give back at all. Sometimes, a dancer’s passion is so powerful that they will do anything to dance. Including ignoring their pain and sickness to keep dancing. However, they neglect the fact that one sickness or injury can end up bringing their dance career to a halt altogether.
Don’t be afraid to see a doctor or physical therapist about recurring or frequent pain. Remember that too much dance can lead to burnout. Your body as a dancer is very important. Sitting out is better than having a serious sickness or injury to put you out for a long time.