Dancing is a physically demanding activity. Sometimes even the hardest choreography can look effortless. Strength, flexibility, and stamina are vital to this. These qualities are also the keys to avoiding injury while taking dance lessons.
Common Dance Injuries
In general, dancers have a much lower chance of tearing their ACL than traditional athletes, but they are still vulnerable to injuries from overuse and trauma. Some of the most common of these include:
- Ankle strains and sprains
- Hip bursitis, hip flexor tendonitis, and other hip injuries
- Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
- Stress fractures of the spine, shin bone, or foot
- Arthritis in the knee, hip, ankle, or foot
How to Prevent Injuries
The majority of dance injuries can be prevented. Follow these guidelines while taking dance lessons to keep your feet, ankles, hips, and knees healthy:
- Warm up and stretch: Stretching before dancing loosens up your body and prevents pulling a muscle during your lesson.
- Exercise outside of class: Building muscle strength is the key to preventing traumatic dance injuries. Pilates and yoga are particularly beneficial for building core muscles, hip strength, and then aerobics such as swimming and biking are effective at improving your stamina.
- Avoid overtraining: Dancers don’t have an “off-season,” so it’s essential to give yourself adequate rest. And if you have an injury, don’t dance on it so it can recover.
- Wear proper dance shoes: Size is critical when buying dance shoes. Let your instructor help you choose the right dance shoe.
- Eat well and stay hydrated: Proper nutrition is vital for all dancers.
We Believe in Safety While Dancing
At River Oaks School of Dancing, we implement safe training practices to keep dance lessons fun, safe, and injury-free. For any questions or concerns you may have about our safety practices or to find out more about the classes we offer, contact us.
