Submitted by: Gwendolyn Cuizon
Dance injuries sometimes occur while rehearsing or doing in a salsa class. But if you take proper precautions and prevention measures, the risks are minimized greatly. For dancers, it is best that they refrain from having injuries during the off-dance season. Or, they will find themselves sidelined in dance competitions.
Recovery might take a long time. It could drag on to weeks or even months. That is why, professional dancers should avoid getting injured as much as possible. In order to avoid injuries there are five important strategies to keep in mind. These include:
Knowledge of Body
Dancing requires constant use of body. Every muscle, every joint should be physically able to execute the dance well. Therefore, taking care of your body is a very important requirement for a dancer.
Having warm-ups before salsa classes begin and cool-down sessions after are essential part of the dance. Students need to warm-up before every class or performance. If the class cannot do a warm-up together like before a performance then students should do warm-up on their own.
Warm-up and cool down exercises will help you prevent injuries and sprains. Dancers have to do a lot of stretching in order to perform really well. You should consider your bodys weaknesses and limitations too. Do not overextend yourself. An injury can easily sideline you. If dancing is your profession, this could mean lost income for you and your family.
If you feel sore or stiff, you should have this examined right away. It is best to listen to what your body is telling you. If you do not feel good then do not over use the part that feels sore. You can opt to “mark it” or not perform some steps in a dance exercise.
Getting Involved in Other Athletic Endeavors
Aerobic activities outside salsa dancing will complement your dancing skills and help prevent injuries. These cross-training activities can enhance upper body strength, flexibility, mobility and tone the body.
An ordinary dance class usually does not make use of all joints or muscles. Routine dance exercises keep using similar muscles or joints which can cause stress on certain body parts. To prevent undue stress especially on previously injured areas, cross-training is necessary. This will enable you to utilize unused part of your bodies.
Eating Smart
Smart eating means having a well-balanced diet. Eating nutritious foods will keep your body healthy. Dancers are constantly under intense pressure to perform. Stress can add up and make them weak physically.
To avoid this situation, eating healthy before and after dance routines will help. Refrain from eating junk foods. You will be burning a lot of calories while dancing so eat food that supply you enough calories for the activity. Eat healthy snacks like vegetables or fruits after a performance not sweets or ice cream. Sweets may provide you energy but they drop your energy levels suddenly too.
Do not get overweight. This will make movement limited. Do not eat calorie-rich foods after exercises especially at nighttime to prevent gaining weight.
Controlling Weight
Do not focus too much on maintaining a certain weight. This will not be good for you mentally and emotionally. Focusing on the weight rather than maintaining good health may prove to be counterproductive. If you are gaining pounds, lose the weight by proper exercises and diet. Crash dieting may lead to problems such as body illness later.
Stress Management
Stress is one of the threats to a healthy body. This can cause illness or injury if not contained. Do some relaxation techniques once you notice yourself getting stressed. Fatigue, inability to focus, pressure and muscle tension while in a salsa class need to be alleviated safely through natural means such as massage, exercise, meditation and other safe methods.
About the Author: Gwendolyn Cuizon is a prolific writer who loves to dance salsa and learn the techniques of the art. If you want to learn more about dance class then please visit the website:
DanceSF.com
Source:
isnare.com
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