Preventing Dance Injuries

[pygmalion]

As dance athletes, we all have to take precautions to prevent dance-related injury. What specific things do you do to keep yourself from getting hurt? Needless to say, I googled the topic and found this web page to get the discussion started.

http://www.geocities.com/sd_au/BodyWorks/injury1.htm

Anyone else have suggestions?

[pygmalion]

Okay. Here's something obvious. Stretch before and after dancing. That's one thing I do. Anything else you can think of?

[Sagitta]

Good website googling Jenn...

Dance a slow dance first to warm up. I always warm up for an activity by doing something that simulates the same exact muscles that are used and the stresses that they undergo...e.g. warm up for running by a slow jog...prepare for weight lifting by doing a aprticular exrcise with very low weights to warm-up before getting into haevy lifting etc...So I find using a slower dance, relatively speaking of course, works well. Or, doing basic moves for a sufficient time to prepare for more complex stressful moves.

Working out. Making sure that you have sufficient aerobic strength to dance. Often when a person gets tired he/she gets sloppy and accidents/injuries start to happen.

Listen to your body, and if something complains don't ignore it!! That's how I got blisters at a contra dance and suffered for a week as a result.

[debmc]

Reviving this thread to see if anyone has any additional tips. So far in my 3 1/2 years of dancing I had had three injuries that required medical intervention and several other garden variety aches and pains. I come to lessons early and warm up and stretch... is there something else I need to do?

[fascination]

most of my problems have involved the looming threat of a bunion and various other foot and knee issues....basically, I never leave my bed without doing foot and ankle exercises, I regularly soak in a hot tub, I pretty much walk around in a haze of bengay with the heat turned up to chicken hatchery heat right before I dance to warm up...I always stretch, and I never wear ridiculous sexy hot shoes when I am not dancing...I get into something that takes care of my feet...the moment I begin to feel a pull I either put on athletic tape or an appropriate brace...and I do lots of cross training to make sure that I am otherwise fit...I stay well hydrated and get 7 hours of sleep almost every night, with the option of a nap.....and I make sure I have one day of the week where my body gets to rest

[Larinda McRaven]

I think most people 1) never stretch and 2) don't know the difference between a good pain and a bad pain.

[fascination]

my best description of that is that good pain is usually blunt and bad pain is usually sharp.....

[fascination]

bad pain doesn't go away after you have warmed up...good pain does

[pygmalion]

So stretching is key?

[jerseydancer]

I take hot bath before my lessons, then try to keep my knees and feet warm until I get to the studio. This will be harder in winter, but possible. I take hot bath after my lesson as well and stretch my feet using yoga toes, and stretch my legs when in bath. Hot power yoga helps to open hips and stretch hamstrings better than anything else.

[jerseydancer]

my best description of that is that good pain is usually blunt and bad pain is usually sharp..... Totally agree, when the pain is sharp it is time to stop and rest, sometimes after good warm up the sharp pain becomes dull, but can go worse quite fast