Dancing Fit

A finding from my inquiry that had a huge impact on me was discovering how little dance alone actually improves fitness levels. ‘Dance training is not sufficient enough to overload the energy and musculoskeletal systems and thus to produce physiological adaptations that will enhance each individual fitness component’. (Angioi, 2014). Aerobic activity - With oxygen. Various sustained exercises that stimulate and strengthen the heart and lungs, therefore improving the body's utilisation of oxygen. Examples include jogging, rowing, swimming and cycling. Anaerobic activity - Without oxygen. Physical exercise of any short duration that is powered primarily by metabolic pathways that produce lactic acid. Examples include short sprints and heavy weight lifting.  So, dance requires cardiovascular strength but dancing does not actually help build cardio. This led me to ponder on the question, how can dancers improve cardiovascular strength? Running: Pros -  Increases st...

Most dance companies work on a seasonal basis with breaks often being up 2 months long and it's advised that dancers rest their bodies in these periods. However, there is a fine line between resting and completely loosing fitness levels all together. When dancers return to work after a break they are often expected to return straightaway to an intense rehearsal schedule which can cause problems if dancers do not return to work fully rested and fighting fit. This is also a similar situation that freelance dancers are faced with when making the transition between dance contracts. It's vital dancers maintain fitness levels in these times to ensure they are fit for auditions or for when they enter their next performance/rehearsal period. I have come up with some top tips that I have accumulated from my inquiry findings about how dancers can make the transition between the end of an intense performance/training period to the next and how they can maintain fitness levels during thi...

Rest is a topic that I have found is often pushed aside by dancers and teachers alike despite it actually being a vitally important component of being a healthy dancer. In order to be able to perform to the best of your ability it's imperative to give your muscles and joints rest so they have sufficient recovery time and physiologically your mind needs time switch off. ‘I think it is vital to listen to your body and make a case by case decision on what is okay and what is too much'. Top tip: Listen to how your body feels physically and think about how you can manage your timetable to fit in adequate rest time.  Burnout -  Emotional and physical exhaustion resulting from a combination of exposure to overwork and lack of rest. Tapering effect -  Tapering refers to the practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important event, i.e., competion or performance.  It will be interesting to hear how other dancers balance their work s...

There are SO many different types of supplementary training and it is often seen as an overwhelming subject and one where dancers just don't know where to begin. But through research I have found that supplementary training is a very individual subject and there is not one formula for everyone. Everyone's body is different and we all work in different ways therefore so will our supplementary training routines.  When thinking about how to approach your body conditioning you should consider: - Your areas of physical weaknesses  - Past injuries  - Your current workload  - Dance technique weaknesses Different forms of conditioning: Pilates: A brand name for a system of physical exercise involving controlled movements, stretching and breathing. Good for: - Targetting smaller muscles and muscles groups that may be more difficult to    isolate  - Strengthen individual areas of weaknesses - Low impact form of conditioning  ...