The Benefits of Stretching for Dancers
If you have been in dance all your life, you’re probably sick of hearing your instructors emphasize how crucial stretching is. But it’s accurate. Stretching sufficiently before and after each practice is one of the best things you can do to safeguard your body from the extreme pressure of lengthy dancing practices.
Additionally, stretching for dancers is essential for enhancing dancing abilities. While avoiding damage, it can help you become more flexible, refine your technique, and improve your lines and range of motion. Even though you spend countless hours studying and perfecting routines, stretching is crucial to your success as a dancer.
Stretching promotes blood flow to your joints and muscles, allowing them to relax. Stress causes your body to constrict, which stiffens your muscles and creates tension that is detrimental to dancing well. Stretching releases endorphins that help us relax, which reduces this stress. Prior to dancing practice, stretching can release tension and calm any jitters you may be experiencing. You can practice and perform better as a result.
If you’ve ever had agonizing sensations following a demanding week of dancing rehearsals, it’s possible that repetitive movements have overworked your muscles and pulled them in the wrong direction. Stretching relieves the pain by realigning these muscles. Your posture can also be improved by extending your aligned muscles.
Most dedicated dancers are constantly searching for new strategies to increase their flexibility. Stretching each day is one of the finest methods to achieve that. You can enhance your kicks, splits, arabesques, leaps, and turns by stretching. You can find it harder to complete several of the activities in your routines if you don’t stretch enough. Try stretching more if you’re having problems being flexible.
It’s crucial that you stretch the appropriate muscles in the appropriate ways. Ask your instructor how to stretch most effectively before and after each exercise. To prevent damage, start out slowly and pay attention to your body.
It’s crucial to keep your strength and flexibility as a dancer. Compared to most other sports, dancing requires a higher level of control and stability while performing dynamic motions. With postures like the arabesque, develope a la seconde, and high grande battements, many dancers concentrate on the distinct requirement for a classical dancer’s line. How often have you wished you had arrived to class earlier to stretch? As it turns out (no pun intended), by adhering to these recommendations, you can improve range of motion and reach your personal best line.
When to Stretch
Stretching is not the same as warming up. The purpose of warming up before class or rehearsal warming up and stretching are not the same thing. Instead of enhancing flexibility, warming up is meant to raise the temperature of your core and muscular tissue, which is crucial for avoiding injuries. Warm muscles are more pliable and sensitive to stretching; thus, you should be warm before stretching. According to research, stretch forces applied to heated connective tissues lengthen them more effectively than stretch forces applied to cold connective tissues. Additionally, stretching while heated has longer-lasting advantages; for instance, lengthened tissue lasted twice as long when low load stretch was administered to warm tissues as opposed to normal body temperature. Studies have also demonstrated a reduction in injuries while stretching with tissues that are warmer, such as after a performance or class. After your lesson or rehearsal, when your muscles are warm and ready to be stretched, is the best time to develop your flexibility.
When Not to Stretch
Do not hold static stretches before a demanding class, performance, or rehearsal. Additionally, intensive stretching of a muscle has actually been shown to impair strength, power, endurance, sprint time, and jump height. Decreases in muscle strength are thought to be both mechanical and neurological and may not be recovered for up to one hour afterward. This could interfere with making gains in strength during class. However, brief stretches of less than 15 seconds are less likely to cause performance problems. Dynamic stretching, such as dance movements, are also less detrimental to performance than static stretching. For a practical application, perform a set of attitude leg swings as part of a dynamic warm-up rather than the traditional sustained leg on the barre—save that for after!
How to Stretch
According to research, three to five repetitions of a static stretch held for 30 seconds is sufficient to preserve joint range of motion and present flexibility. More than four repetitions of a stretch offer minimal benefit. Make sure the muscles are warmed up first if you want to increase flexibility. Stretching more frequently during the course of the week has additional positive effects.
Research has shown that three to five static stretch repeats, each sustained for 30 seconds, are sufficient to maintain joint range of motion and current flexibility. Stretches performed more than four times only marginally improve flexibility. If you want to become more flexible, be sure to warm up the muscles first. Additional advantages of stretching more frequently during the course of the week.
Source: https://danceclassicstn.com/the-benefits-of-stretching/
REACH’s 2 STEP APPROACH TO RECOVERY THERAPY
RELAX – RESTORE – RECHARGE
Step 1: Identify Your Problem Areas
- It all starts with your Mobility Risk Factor Assessment called
. - This helps us identify the root cause of your current problem areas due to:
– Life’s Daily Wear & Tear
– Your Aches/Pain
– Muscle Imbalances & Weakness
– Flexibility/Mobility Limitations
– Posture Issues - A Mobility Risk Factor Assessment is a MUST before starting any Stretch & Recovery Therapy Program.
Step 2: Targeted Recovery Therapy
- Your Mobility Risk Factor Assessment helps us create a Personalized Recovery Therapy Plan that targets your problem areas which will Shorten your Recovery Time.
- Each of our Stretch & Recovery sessions are a balanced blend of Corrective Stretch, Percussion, Compression, CBD and Heat
Vibration Therapy. - Risk Factor Re-Assessments:
– Suggested every 30-60 days
– See your improvements
– Realize the benefits of Stretch & Recovery
Therapy
