Good Stretches for Dance

While dancing is fun, it can cause serious injury if you do not stretch.

Along with being fun, dancing provides a tremendous amount of aerobic exercise. Like other aerobic activities, you must prepare your body for the rigorous movements and sustained motions of dancing. Stretching helps you avoid painful cramps or more serious muscle damage. Your dance stretching only takes a few minutes and lets you focus your attention on the specific muscles groups you will use while dancing. Do this before every dance session to ensure that what you take away from your dance session is the love of dancing and not a painful injury.

Quad Stretch

Lay on your stomach and rest your head against your left arm. Extend your right arm backward along the length of your body. Bend your right leg, at the knee, and lift your foot toward your right hand. Take hold of your right foot with your hand and try to keep your thigh pressed against the ground. Hold this pose for 10 to 20 seconds, release and repeat with your left leg. This exercise will stretch out your quad muscles, which are important in all dance styles.

Hamstring Stretch

Kneel on the ground and extend your right leg in front of your body. Lean forward along your right leg and attempt to grab your right foot. Hold the pose for 10 to 20 seconds before releasing and then repeat the motion with your left leg. Your hamstring muscles are another vital muscle for dancing, especially for faster dances or leaps. Additionally, proper stretching helps reduce your chances of muscle cramps.

Calf Stretch

Stand with your feet together. Step forward with your right foot and bend with your right knee. Keep your left leg straight, bending only at your left ankle. Shift your weight toward your right leg while keeping your left foot flat against the ground. Continue putting pressure on your right leg until you feel the pressure in your left calf. Apply this pressure for 10 to 20 seconds for each leg to prevent cramping while you dance. The calf muscles are the most susceptible leg muscles to painful cramping.

Hip Stretch

Move your feet a shoulder length apart and angle your feet outward. Bend at your knees and hips to lower your body into a slightly crouched position. Place your hands outward from your body. You will feel an early burn in your quad muscles. Rotate your right knee inward and hold the position for a few seconds before rotating it outward again. Repeat the motion with your left knee. This motion will stretch your hips and help prevent hip injury from dancing.

References

• Better 4 Fitness: Quad Stretches Rectus Femoris & Vastus Group
• Halhigdon: Flexibility Can Make You Faster
• The Flexibility Coach: 10 Ways to Stretch Tight Calf Muscles