Have another fitness or health question? Submit a question in the comments below this post or on Nancy’s wall at Dance Advantage Interactive. Your questions and Nancy’s answers will be featured on her DA Interactive blog and on her website.

What is the best way to prevent pain after strenuous activity?

“No pain – no gain” is only true to an extent. Yes, if you’re making a comeback or a major change in your routine you will feel the effects until your body builds muscle strength and your flexibility and range of motion increases to the point that your body responds consistently and much more comfortably. Until then, there are ways to minimize and even prevent the day-after soreness and stiffness.

Photo by Jeff Turner

Proper hydration is the first point to remember. Even if you are among the 25% of Americans who actually do drink your 8 glasses per day, when making extra demands on your body you’ll need to increase that by 2 or 3 glasses to ensure you’re getting the proper amount of hydration. This is perhaps the overall best, and easiest, way to help your body get past the initial shock of using muscles it hasn’t used as much or as hard as you are now using them.

So much water is lost through sweating, and this is possibly the chief cause for muscle pain, and even cramps, that can make going in for that second or third session that week a real exercise in willpower.

It’s not as simple as “drying out” your body. Loss of fluid takes so much with it when it goes. Vital minerals – potassium and sodium to name two important ones – are lost, and with them go important nutrients your muscles rely on to bend, stretch and withstand impact.

Making 16 or 24 ounces of your water intake enhanced or vitamin fortified water is a great way to not only increase your fluids, but include additional amounts of minerals and vitamins your body will need to give you the performance level you want. Use care though, and read the labels. Vitamin waters can contain quite a few calories, and those that are low-cal can contain artificial sweeteners that are simply not good for you. Look for products containing “erythritol” which is a sugar substitute obtained from plants that is less likely to cause stomach upset and headaches, and thankfully has no after taste.

What should I do when it does hurt?

Your body hurts because of two main reasons. Strain and tension. These should be treated both physically and mentally.

Physically

Soaking in a warm tub with Epsom salt feels heavenly to a sore, overworked body. Don’t put yourself through further shock by getting into a tub of water that’s too hot. First, do an “elbow dip”. Yes, that’s what your mom (and maybe you) have done before giving a baby a bath. The area around your elbow, just below it to be exact, is very sensitive to heat and makes a great natural thermometer. If it feels comfortable to the elbow area, you’re ready to hop in. Stay in for at least 20 minutes, but more than 30 is probably too long.

Also, don’t mix in bubble bath or regular bath foam. Stay with either Epsom salt, eucalyptus salts, or if you have nothing else handy pour in a good amount of witch hazel or even a cup or two of oatmeal. (If you use oatmeal for bathing, use the quick cooking type and let it sit in the water for 5 or 10 minutes before you get in)

Don’t forget to cool off after.

This is important. Ever take a first aid class? Application of heat first, followed by cold compresses is the best way to treat strained muscles. Of course, you don’t want to pour ice water on yourself. At this point, using a good amount of witch hazel will feel like a godsend to your tired, achy body. If not available, you can use aloe vera gel, which is good as well, but can leave you feeling kind of greasy. You can combat that though by wrapping yourself in your favorite bathrobe or comfy sweats.

Mentally

Now that you’ve soaked and soothed your body, it’s time to unwind. Make yourself a cup of herbal tea, and find a quiet spot to listen to some soft music, or even better, a meditation CD. No quiet spots in your house? A good pair of headphones can change that, and unless you’re using noise-reduction types, you can still hear what’s going on in the house – especially good if you have children to keep an ear out for.

Learn to form a mental picture of relaxing every muscle in your body, starting with your head and working right down to your toes. Remember that an athlete’s game is played mainly in her head, so you’re applying that golden rule here as well; using it now to loosen up the tension and give yourself needed rest.

Not only will the mental winding-down help to ease any pain you may feel, but it can also help you to sleep better after a physically demanding day. Sleep is nature’s secret weapon when it comes to healing the body, and that’s just what you need when you’re feeling stress and strain of any kind.

Follow this simple routine on a regular basis and you’ll notice that it really can make a difference. And be creative. Try exploring mental exercises such as visualization and self-hypnosis. A bit out of the norm? Yes. But since they are both safe and easy to do, both are worth looking into for overall health – mind and body.

Nancy Welker is a Master Trainer with five additional certifications in specialized fitness modalities, a degree in Fitness and Nutrition, and formal training in Latin Ballroom dance.   CEO of Nutrabeautiful, Inc., Nancy publishes educational information for women regarding health, beauty, nutrition and positive self-image through a newsletter, “NutraBeauty News.”
For more information go to: www.nutrabeautiful.com

The contents of the Dance Advantage website, such as text, graphics, and other material (“Content”) located at danceadvantage.net and its subdomains or aliases (“Website”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of Content found on the Website. Reliance on any information provided by Nichelle Strzepek, danceadvantage.net, others appearing on the Website at the invitation of Nichelle Strzepek, or other visitors to the Website is solely at your own risk.

© Guest Contributors for Dance Advantage, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Category: Blog, Toolbox, Wellness

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Photo by Dave Spellman

Dance is a form of expression, allowing one to creatively or artistically “speak” through a non-verbal language. However, dancers have often found a need to express themselves through words and writing as well.  In fact, writing can be a useful tool for dancers, teachers, and choreographers.  And, journaling or keeping a diary is a great way to preserve and organize one’s thoughts, reflections, goals, and more.

Who and What

A dance teacher and friend of mine, recently wrote on her blog, Uptown Dance NJ, about ways in which a dance diary can be used for students, teachers, and professionals.  She spoke of her own methods and uses for this valuable tool and how and why she encourages her own students to keep a dance diary.

There are many types of journals from organizational (lists, schedules, data/idea collection), to pragmatic (what you did, what you’ll do, achievements, failures), to idealistic (goals, dreams, ambitions), to emotional (how you felt, reflections, critiques).  And, there are many, many, many techniques for writing and keeping a journal.  Some people collect and use or sketch images, others write free-form, limit themselves to one sentence, or answer questions or write lists.  Some use a binder, others a bound book, and others use technology and computers.  In this regard, each must determine the methods that will best meet his/her needs. However, in order to encourage you to make use of a dance journal, I’d like to highlight how particular aspects of a diary could be useful to dancers and/or teachers.

Goal-oriented Writing

A Twitter pal of mine, Amber, describes how she “keeps her butt in gear” through writing down her goals and dreams.  She also uses something called a vision board which is meant to activate the law of attraction, which has a lot to do with visualizing and attracting the things we want in life by bringing attention to them. This principle can also be used in journaling, as described by Elizabeth Scott M.D. in an article about stress management.

Visualization is nothing new in dance.  We use this tool all the time when we apply imagery to perfect our technique or execution, or even practice mental rehearsal before a performance.  Writing about our goals can also be an exercise in visualization because it requires that we imagine these goals as achievable and imagine ourselves achieving them.  When we give voice to these visions on the written page, we not only allow time to focus our energy and thoughts on them, we preserve them.  It is a commitment and a promise to ourselves, more powerful than a fleeting thought, because we can look over our imaginings over again and again.

Learning and Reflection

Keeping a record of your learning process has many benefits for a dancer.  The following, from an educational website, very clearly and succinctly describes what to write in a learning journal and why it may be helpful.

WHAT TO WRITE

* “Activities”/situations/experiences that went well or were difficult

* Unexpected problems or issues e.g. solving a particular maths problem (that you had revised carefully) or explaining an idea in a group project meeting. [completing a pirouette without falling out of it; a disruptive student; difficulty remembering choreography]

* Habits that you have noticed in yourself or others (which have some relevance)

* How you feel about the way you are doing things e.g. items of understanding, clarity of thought, strength of actions, awareness.

* How effective you are e.g. using feedback from others, achieving goals (assignment deadlines, finding information in library, keeping a learning diary! etc.)

* Anything else that feels of importance to you – even though you may not understand the significance of it.

WHY DO IT?

* It helps you to learn from your successes, as well as your mistakes

* It makes it more likely that you will use what you have learned next time i.e. rather than ‘making the same mistakes’, “falling back on old habits’ etc.

* It gives you an opportunity to plan concisely what you want to do, what you want to change, etc.

· It may help you feel more in “control of your life”, more positive, deepen your understanding, etc.

A person learns from successes and mistakes when he/she takes the time to reflect on them.  With a journal, dancers have the opportunity to recognize patterns in the corrections they receive, the worries or stresses that may inhibit them, and the types of images or thought processes that help them the most.  With this information dancers can then use what they’ve learned to solve problems, avoid injury, and improve.  In addition, a journal can aid in boosting confidence.  Even a dancer that, in the moment, or over the course of months or years, feels that they are not doing well, can look back at her recorded accomplishments and feel good about the progress made.  Looking at our successes as a whole, enables us to see the value in even the smallest of improvements.  Writing is also a way to work through emotions that otherwise we may keep bottled up.  The stress of trying to out-perform ourselves or others, please our teachers (or students), advance to the next class level, land a special role or job, and a whole host of other worries can be overwhelming for a dancer.  Putting these concerns in writing gives us a space to air them without ramification, often making them seem like they are not such a big deal after all.

Get Started!

Consistent journaling is achieved by making it a habit.  You make something a habit by first choosing to do it consistently.  It may take some real effort on your part to begin and continue your journal.  I encourage you to try to make time to write at a particular time each day, avoid distractions and situate yourself where you will be most free from interruption.  Start small.  Sometimes our intentions are too big and we end up quitting because we’ve bitten off more than we can chew.  Take brief moments to write a few lines about the day or the class.  You may find that over time you are able to write more and that you have discovered new ways to utilize your journal.  Also, set yourself up for success.  If you tend to enjoy typing an email more than writing a letter, you may find blogging your journal to be more productive than adding thoughts to a bound or looseleaf notebook.  Like finding the perfect pair of pointe shoes, you may even have to sample different methods until you find the right fit.

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Category: Blog, Toolbox

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1. Engaging your abdominal/core muscles is necessary for maintaining good alignment during the turn.
2. Every turn is a balance, so work on balancing in the position in which you want to turn (retiré, a la seconde, etc.)
3. Spot and keep your eyes off the floor (or that’s where you’ll end up).
4. Use only enough push to get around – sometimes a dance student’s biggest downfall in pirouettes is pushing so hard that they throw the turn off.
5. Connect your arms to your back – you should feel width between the shoulder blades and the arms should maintain their position (don’t “wind-up” for a turn)
6. Take off from a properly placed and wide plié for power in the turn.
7. Strengthen your ankles supporting the relevé – if you are wobbly, sickled, or pronated, this will ruin your turn.
8. Make a choice to come down from the turn, don’t let gravity make the choice for you.
9. Visualize yourself doing a beautiful, clean pirouette – it really does help!

Pirouettes are not an easy movement. Anyone can whip themselves around but it takes years of practice (plus a good deal of strength) to perform a proper pirouette. Work hard at the barre and in centre on the fundamentals (plié, relevé, etc.) And, work on getting a good, clean single pirouette first (with a strong grasp on the elements above), then progress to multiples. Don’t give up! If you are working hard, applying your teacher’s corrections, and not letting self-doubt psych you out, you will be able to do multiple pirouettes.

What we hope ever to do with ease, we must first learn to do with diligence.

What are some other tips that you can offer or have been given to you? What do you find most difficult about pirouettes?

© Nichelle Strzepek for Dance Advantage, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Category: Blog, Dance Library, Technique, Toolbox

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