Flexibility Exercises For Dancers

Dancing is a physical activity that demands the maximum of grace and flexibility from the body. Dancing involves a great deal of complicated movements that have to be fluid, easy going and precise. It is impossible to carry out such movements if the muscles of the body are tight. When the muscles of the body are tight it becomes difficult to grasp the movements in the first place. If you can perform the steps but do not have flexibility you may cause injuries to your body.

Before dancing it is necessary to prepare the body for the type of movement it is going to perform. If the body is not prepared for the taxing dance movements, the body muscles develop tension and this state of the body is not preferred for dancers. This takes the entire spirit and fun out of the dancing activity. Tight muscles also render the dance movements stiff and they will lack grace. Thus flexibility exercises are indispensable to execute a flawless dance performance.

The basic factors that have to be considered while performing stretching exercises for dancing are posture, breathing, body warmth, etc., in order for the flexibility exercise to be effective the body posture should be perfect. The head has to face front, the neck has to be long and the back has to be erect. It is also necessary to breathe deeply inhaling air through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. It is advisable to inhale during the preparation for the stretch and exhale during the stretch.

Performing flexibility exercises without warming up beforehand could turn out to be harmful to your body. If the body is cold, the blood circulation is poor and stretching exercise prove to be futile and sometimes even harmful. Therefore before beginning any flexibility work out session it is very important to do some warm-up exercises. It is also necessary to consult your physician and check if your body condition is fit enough to take up these exercises. Dancing involves all the major muscles from head to toe and hence during stretching sessions focus must be laid on stretching and relaxing all the major muscles in your body .

Execute the exercise in a relaxed, slow manner. Do not hasten or bounce during a stretch as it could greatly damage your muscle. If the stretching exercises are performed precisely they render your muscles to be highly flexible and fluid enough to carryout the most complicated of dance movements with the utmost precision and grace.

There are a number of stretches, dynamic and static, that are to be performed before engaging in dance activities such as seated stretches, seated toe stretches, butterfly, kneeling stretches, etc.

Begin the seated stretch by sitting on the floor with your legs crossed. Roll your head in the right direction slowly for a count of about eight. Now slowly roll your head in the left direction again to the same count of about eight. Lift your face up in such a way that it is facing the ceiling and hold the position for about twenty seconds. Now bring your head down and lower it to face the floor. Holding this position bring your hands in front reaching out past your crossed legs. Remain in this position for a count of eight and return to the original sitting position Make sure that you move only your head and the rest of your body remains fixed in the initial position

To perform the butterfly stretch sit down on the floor in such a way that the soles of your feet are touching and the knees are almost touching the floor. Now clutch your ankles with your hands. Imagine a pole to exist between your feet and gently slide your feet up the pole with your hands until you bring your feet as close as you can to your body. Roll your head down so that your chin is comfortably placed on your chest. Now slowly relax each vertebrae down your back, rolling your head down until your head is very close to your feet. Hold this stretch position for about 30 seconds. Reverse the movement until you return to the original position. Repeat the exercise 2 to 3 times.

See to it that you do not confuse stretches with sensations of pain. Stretches are mildly uncomfortable feelings and do not cause unbearable pain . If you experience pain stop the stretching exercise and contact your physician immediately. If the stretching exercises are performed correctly they relax your muscles and help you perform the dance exercise in the best way possible. The flexibility exercises also protect you from suffering any straining or injury.