What to stretch and what to strengthen

[DanceMentor]

As ballroom dancers we often use the same muscles repetitively. For example is pretty easy to get really tight quadriceps or IT band. But when it comes to measuring what is tight and perhaps not flexible enough, versus what is very flexible but not strong enough, do you have any secret formula for determining that?

 

[FancyFeet]

God, if someone has the secret formula, please share!!! This has been a journey that I have been on for years.

Things that are usually too tight: right interior ankle, right calf (generally my small flexor muscles, the large ones are fine), QL (both sides), and lately, my left quad
Things that are usually too flexible: my entire thoracic spinal region, shoulders
Things that I work really hard on making/keeping strong: Core (see: flexible back, above)
Things that are lazy and just don't like to turn on: glute med and glute max, especially on the left side (see: tight left quad, above), right hip flexors

It took me a long to recognize the difference between feels 'tight' because it is overstreched and loose, and feels 'tight' because it actually is tight... and understand that all the odd one-sided stuff I was often dealing with was due to my highly developed compensating patterns.

 

[j_alexandra]

God, if someone has the secret formula, please share!!! This has been a journey that I have been on for years.

Things that are usually too tight: right interior ankle, right calf (generally my small flexor muscles, the large ones are fine), QL (both sides), and lately, my left quad

AAAAA QL AAAAAAAAAAAAA

Things that are usually too flexible: my entire thoracic spinal region, shoulders

I hate you ; my thoracic spine is a more like a 2x4, in spite of YEARS of work on it

<snip>

It took me a long to recognize the difference between feels 'tight' because it is overstreched and loose, and feels 'tight' because it actually is tight... and understand that all the odd one-sided stuff I was often dealing with was due to my highly developed compensating patterns.

SISTER!

I admire and respect your nuanced evaluation; most people, (like, say, me) just don't have that level of awareness. Wow.

 

[FancyFeet]

Hyper body awareness is my random and completely useless superpower. I regularly wow my chiropractor by naming the location that needs to be adjusted (by vertebra number) and explaining the direction required. Apparently, that ability is not normal... but I had no idea that not everyone could do that!

And sorry for the upper spinal flexibility... blame my parents. But if it makes you feel better, it took me YEARS of work to learn to control it, and I still drift into unconscious hyperextension when I get tired