In Step With DC
Dance Health: Stretching
Stretching is an essential part of keeping every dancer healthy. Making sure that your muscles are prepared to take on the often monumental tasks that you are asking of them is as important as using the correct technique. Like everything though, there is such a thing as “the right way” to stretch, and you can get too much of a good thing when it comes to stretching as well.
We all know the warm up routine at our studio includes some stretching and core work. This does help with flexibility, but is truly intended to get your muscles to be warm and pliable for the class ahead. You won’t find any major stretching component to the beginning of your class, and that is a very good thing because, like the movements warm up prepares you for, it is much more effective to stretch after class!
That may sound a little crazy, but if you are looking to get further into your split, or work on any of the acro from Dance Enrichment class, warm muscles are much more responsive to stretching. You’ll gain more flexibility and be less likely to injure yourself when your muscles are nice and warm. Here are some stretching tips you can use for after classes or practice:
- Streching is most effective when repeating a stretch 3 – 4 times and holding for about 30 seconds. Any longer can lead to a loss of stability in your joints.
- Only stretch until you feel minor discomfort. That is where you should hold the stretch. It should never feel sharp or painful.
- Take each move slow and steady, don’t make any sharp or quick movements as that can lead to injuries.
- Remember to breathe! Stretching is a great time to really tune into your body through breathing in time with your stretches, like you would in a yoga class. Doing this will give you an added boost by helping you relax and reduce stress.
- If your muscles tend to be tight, you can generally take a longer stretching session, but if you are already very flexible and limber you should devote a bit less time to stretching to avoid loss of joint stability.
If you are looking for specific stretches that will help you reach flexibility goals that you have set for yourself this year, make sure to talk to your teachers! They will be more than happy to give you a stretching routine that will help you meet those goals.
Critchfield, B. , IADMS. (2011). Stretching for Dancers. https://www.iadms.org/page/353
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