Stretching is useful for thus many causes. For a dancer, excessive vary of movement is essential for his or her occupation and craft, and for each athlete, mobility training (within the type of stretching) will help with joint mobilization points, enhance athleticism and enhance high quality of life. On this article, I can be outlining 5 nice stretches that I exploit with my dancers to assist them obtain excessive ranges of flexibility. These stretches could also be easy, however they’re fairly efficient for dancers and non-dancers alike!
1. Hip Flexors:
Dancers want sturdy, but supple hip flexors in an effort to obtain extensions in any course. Loads of non- dancers have tight hip flexors from sitting for lengthy days at work or from adopting a posture the place the pelvis is tilted ahead. For everybody, tight hip flexors can result in low again and hip points; when the muscle turns into tight, it could possibly pull in your decrease again the place it attaches. The hip flexors could be a difficult muscle to stretch as a result of they run throughout the higher and decrease physique. They originate at your lumbar backbone (decrease again) and fasten to the inside head of your femur or thigh bone.
To stretch them, attempt: kneeling in your proper knee along with your left foot on the ground in entrance of you. Squeeze your glutes and tuck your tailbone beneath. You need to really feel a stretch not solely in your hip flexor, however your quad as effectively. To boost the stretch, carry your proper arm overhead and attain to the other facet. Maintain this stretch for 30 seconds on both sides twice.
2. Hamstring Stretch:
Dancers want sturdy and free hamstrings for his or her entrance splits and different extensions. Everybody else wants free hamstrings for the sake of wholesome joints and elevated athleticism. There are two stretches for the hamstrings that I significantly like: one in every of them is a static stretch and the opposite is a dynamic stretch.
For the primary hamstring stretch (a static stretch), Begin by mendacity in your again with each toes flat on the ground and fasten a strap across the backside of your left foot. Slowly increase your leg off the ground retaining each knees straight. Solely carry the leg to a spot the place you may chill out into the stretch. Guarantee that your pelvis isn’t tucked. Maintain this stretch for 30 seconds on both sides.
3. For the second hamstring stretch (a dynamic stretch),
Begin from a standing place. Push your hips backwards, fold over on the hip, and attain your fingers to the ground. In the event you can’t contact the ground with out bending your knees, that’s okay! Bend your knees simply sufficient in order that your fingers contact the ground. Leaving your toes the place they’re, stroll your fingers out right into a plank. Raise your hips again into the air as excessive as you may and stroll your fingers backwards so far as you may with out bending your knees. Then stroll again out once more. Stroll your fingers out and in eight instances earlier than strolling all the way in which again as much as standing. You’ll be able to repeat this dynamic stretch 2-3 instances.
This stretch is nice for a warm-up as a result of it does an awesome job of
activating and recruiting numerous muscle teams in addition to rising
your physique temperature.
4. Exterior Rotation:
Dancers have unimaginable turn-out! I’m positive that these of you who’ve seen a ballerina stroll down the road know precisely what I’m speaking about; they stroll with their toes barely pointed to the facet. I discover that a whole lot of my purchasers don’t take into consideration stretching their exterior rotation until they’ve been informed to take action by a Bodily Therapist. The reality tends to be that for these of us who spend the vast majority of the day sitting, our exterior (and inner) rotation tends to be compromised. Quite a lot of you might be in all probability conversant in the pigeon place from yoga. That’s one in every of some ways to stretch your exterior rotation. I favor a unique model that permits you to extra simply modify how a lot stress you placed on the joint. Begin by mendacity in your again with each toes flat on the ground.
Place your left ankle in your proper knee. Seize a maintain of your proper thigh and gently pull your proper leg in direction of you. You need to really feel a stretch in your left hip. Maintain this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat it on each side.
5. Thoracic Backbone:
Typically, a whole lot of time is given to the pliability of your decrease physique with out sufficient consideration given to the thoracic backbone, shoulders, and arms. This final stretch is a superb mobilizer of the rib cage space and the chest, to not point out that it feels actually great! Dancers want one of these flexibility to carry out the various back-bends and twists in choreography. For the layman, this stretch helps with posture and shoulder and backbone well being.
Begin mendacity in your facet along with your legs bent to 90 levels. Prolong each arms instantly in entrance of your chest along with your palms touching each other. Conserving your knees on the ground and each elbows straight, decide up your prime arm and twist your backbone open making an attempt to the touch your prime arm and shoulder to the ground behind you in order that your arms make a straight line. Deliver your arm again the identical manner and repeat 8 instances on the primary facet and eight instances on the opposite facet ensuring to breath.
I’ll go away you with one tip that I usually inform my purchasers. I’ve seen that many individuals wish to wrench their limbs right into a stretch that’s painful to carry. I am going to admit that stretching isn’t inherently essentially the most comfy of actions. That being stated, you need to all the time make sure that whichever place you select to carry, your physique is ready to chill out into it. If you’re straining in your stretch, you’ll not obtain the identical advantages as a result of your muscular tissues can be on the defensive and stay tight. Flexibility takes time and constant effort, so be affected person and chill out into it. As all the time, if in case you have extra particular questions, ask a motion skilled. Good luck!
Concerning the Writer:
Marissa Joseph is a Licensed Power and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) in Manhattan. Marissa graduated from SUNY Buy Conservatory of Dance manga cum laude and shortly thereafter entered into the skilled dance and health world. She has labored as a prime tier coach at Equinox and independently at numerous gyms to revive full perform and well being to purchasers who’ve had hip and knee replacements, herniated or slipped discs, shoulder impingement points and different put up trauma instances. In 2012, Marissa began Working Lines: a power coaching program for skilled dancers. Her coaching theories work to fight harm and supply a protected, sensible and accessible method to keep sturdy and wholesome. She has labored with dancers from Doug Varone and Dancers, Mark Morris Dance Group, Lydia Johnson Dance and extra!
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