Yoga for Dancers
If you know me personally than you know my background is in dance. I started dancing at the age of 3 and frankly never really stopped. I majored in dance performance in college and performed with a company after graduation.
One thing I never did was cross train. I never did anything BUT dance. Was I in good shape? Yes. Could I have been in better shape and potentially prevented some of my injuries? Yes. I used yoga to rehab myself after having foot surgery and fell in love with the practice. I now feel I am stronger, have better balance, and am more muscularly balanced than I ever was when I only danced. Yoga is a great cross training work out for dancers and I encourage any current or former dancer to give it a go.
So, why exactly is yoga such a great cross training exercise for dancers? Well, I am glad you asked.
Number one: It is low impact.
Dancers put their bodies through a lot. Grand and petite allegro is nothing but gracefully catching your entire body weight after propelling it into the air. A study done by the Institute of Physics found that “the force bearing down through a dancer’s ankles in certain movements can be 14 times their own body weight.” If that doesn’t convince you to cross train with something that is low impact, I don’t know what will.
Number two: Pranayama
How many times has your teacher yelled at you to breathe during adagio? My guess is more than a few times. Well yoga is all about the breath work (pranayama) and matching your breath to movement. As you move from posture to posture your instructor will also be giving you breath cues. Sometimes even asking you to move at your own breath pace which helps you tap into the sensation of mindful breathing. Yoga will give you the tools to become conscious of your breathing and have control over it. Better breathing results in better stamina, muscle engagement and grace (no one moves smoothly when they are holding their breath).
Number three: You are going to strengthen muscles that are typically not utilized in traditional dance training.
This is kind of the entire point of cross training but it is still worth mentioning as in my opinion it is probably the most important. Any physical activity practiced repetitively and solely will result in muscular imbalances in the body. A prime example of this in dance is hip external and internal rotation. Most dancers spend a good bit of their life in turn out, which activates the muscles that externally rotate the hip. Since these muscles are almost constantly activated (especially during a ballet class) they can become tight and short while the internal rotators become weak and loose. Now you may be asking “but why does this matter? If I have good turn out I can still stand and work in parallel just fine.” This may be all fine and good but the muscular imbalance in your hips could lead to injuries in your pelvis, low back, or even knees. Additionally, it can also affect your spinal and pelvic posture. Getting the correction to lengthen your low back could have nothing to do with your spinal muscles and all to do with the short and tight external hip rotators that connect at your low back and upper femur. This is just one example of how a muscular imbalance can negatively impact your dance training but believe me when I say there are more. Utilizing smart cross training techniques and exercises can ease these imbalances and prolong the longevity of your career.
Bottom line.
Studies continue to show there are so many other benefits to practicing yoga (many that go beyond their application as a cross training exercise for dance). So dancer or not, yoga could be the step you are missing for taking your health, career, or mindset to the next level.
Has this peaked your interest in yoga for dancers? If so, join me at my Yoga for Dancers Workshop on August 19th 2020! The workshop is available in person or by live stream. Register at my events page.
