How To Keep Fit in Holidays?
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 this time.
Top tips:
- At the end of an intense training/performance/competition period listen to how your body feels and take a few weeks of complete rest (3 weeks recommended). After an intense performance/competition season dancers are often overtrained and more susceptible to injuries and illness so it is important to make sure you aren't doing anything that you could potentially injure yourself.
- Keep up with cardiovascular exercise and basic muscle strengthening exercises. Many dancers go to the gym and work on cardiovascular stamina and strength training in a break. I would recommend this as many dancers feel this is an effective way of staying in shape and getting some aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
- Attending open dance classes so your technique isn't lost. Dancing works the muscles in different ways to any other sort of conditioning training so it's important to try to keep this up especially towards the end of a break before returning to dancing.
- Up the quantity of your training before returning to dancing after a break. Build up the quantity so when beginning rehearsals it's not a big shock to your body.
- Reduce workload but not the intensity of training sessions in the run up to performance. It is important that dancers are mentally and physically recovered from an intense training period so that their focus can be on performance. In a run up to performance the focus should be on the quality of the rehearsals/training rather than the quantity.
- If rehearsal intensity is increasing then reduce the quantity or supplementary truing you are doing. The intensity of supplementary training should remain the same although the volume needs to decrease.
I have learnt about the benefits of a tapered training effect from this area of study in my inquiry.
Definition of tapering:
I have found from my inquiry research that many dancers do not know about the benefits of a tapered training effect and how it can be incorporated into a training schedule to benefit dancers. I am interested for other dancers to comment on this blog on whether they are informed about tapered training and how/if it effects their performance.
As I have mentioned previously everyone's bodies are different so people will have different opinions and views towards this subject and what works for them individually. It will be interesting to hear other dancers opinions on this subject so feel free to comment below!
What do you do to keep fit in the holiday?
How long after a busy performance/training period do you feel is an optimum amount of time for a break from dancing and exercise?
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 this time.
Top tips:
- At the end of an intense training/performance/competition period listen to how your body feels and take a few weeks of complete rest (3 weeks recommended). After an intense performance/competition season dancers are often overtrained and more susceptible to injuries and illness so it is important to make sure you aren't doing anything that you could potentially injure yourself.
- Keep up with cardiovascular exercise and basic muscle strengthening exercises. Many dancers go to the gym and work on cardiovascular stamina and strength training in a break. I would recommend this as many dancers feel this is an effective way of staying in shape and getting some aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
- Attending open dance classes so your technique isn't lost. Dancing works the muscles in different ways to any other sort of conditioning training so it's important to try to keep this up especially towards the end of a break before returning to dancing.
- Up the quantity of your training before returning to dancing after a break. Build up the quantity so when beginning rehearsals it's not a big shock to your body.
- Reduce workload but not the intensity of training sessions in the run up to performance. It is important that dancers are mentally and physically recovered from an intense training period so that their focus can be on performance. In a run up to performance the focus should be on the quality of the rehearsals/training rather than the quantity.
- If rehearsal intensity is increasing then reduce the quantity or supplementary truing you are doing. The intensity of supplementary training should remain the same although the volume needs to decrease.
I have learnt about the benefits of a tapered training effect from this area of study in my inquiry.
Definition of tapering:
I have found from my inquiry research that many dancers do not know about the benefits of a tapered training effect and how it can be incorporated into a training schedule to benefit dancers. I am interested for other dancers to comment on this blog on whether they are informed about tapered training and how/if it effects their performance.
As I have mentioned previously everyone's bodies are different so people will have different opinions and views towards this subject and what works for them individually. It will be interesting to hear other dancers opinions on this subject so feel free to comment below!
What do you do to keep fit in the holiday?
How long after a busy performance/training period do you feel is an optimum amount of time for a break from dancing and exercise?
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