Learn how to reduce your chances of injury by adopting healthy dance practices
Although 80–90% of professional dancers suffer injuries during their career, it is possible to reduce your chances of injury by adopting “healthy dance practices”. These include:
- Fueling your body with nutritious foods, and drinking plenty of water.
- Warming up and cooling down before and after dancing.
- Training and performing with proper technique.
- Giving your body adequate rest between rehearsals.
- Cross-training to include overall body conditioning for strength and endurance.
- Seeking care & treatment for minor problems before they become serious injuries. Most dance and other sports injuries can be effectively treated using chiropractic and/or acupuncture along with a rehabilitative exercise plan that is chosen to meet the needs of your specific condition.
Remember, most injuries occur when our bodies are fatigued. Be sure to include cardiovascular training as a part of your regular conditioning routine in order to improve your endurance and reduce the risk of injury due to muscle fatigue.
The most common body parts that dancers injure are the lower back, hips, knees and ankles. Stay tuned to learn more about specific injuries to these areas, and how to avoid them!
Reprinted from The Healthy Dancer by Dr. Jason Twardowski. Dr. Twardowski is a classically trained dancer. His Chiropractic and Acupuncture clinic is located in Toronto at Bayview and Sheppard. Contact: 416 226 2552. This article may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without consent from danceScape™. Please contact editor@dancescape.comfor authorization details.