How to Warm Up in Belly Dancing

Perform warm up exercises prior to belly dancing to avoid injuries and prepare you psychologically for the belly dancing session. During a standard belly dancing warm up, boost the flow of blood to your muscles. By lessening muscle stiffness, you improve the muscles' elasticity, enhancing your belly dancing performance. Do the warm up exercises described below before any belly dancing gig.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Spend the first five minutes preparing to stretch. Breathe deeply ten times. Slowly inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.

2. Switch to an aerobic exercise for the next five minutes. March in place for two minutes. Repeat two sets of ten counts.

3. Change to leg extensions. Stretch each leg forward gradually and touch the heel on the floor. Do each leg five times.

4. Walk around the room gently swinging arms from side to side in wide circles. Then stand still, feet flat on the floor, chin up and arms extended loosely at sides. Bring shoulders up, back and down in a circular motion without bending arms. Repeat ten times.

5. Sit with arms at sides. Slowly move head to one side and then the other, holding each move for five seconds. Then tilt the head from one side to the other, holding each tilt for five seconds.

6. Stand relaxed for one minute. Pull arms up over the head, holding each elbow in the opposite hand. Gently lean to one side, stretching from the hip. Hold each stretch ten seconds. Do three stretches on each side.

7. Finish the warm up with middle back stretches. Stand straight with shoulders slightly back. Rest hands on hips. Slowly twist at the waist to one side. Repeat on the other side, holding each twist for ten seconds.