10 Stretching and Flexibility Tips to Improve Your Dancing
Flexibility is something that every dancer must have. It is also one of the things judges look for during pro cheer auditions. This is because flexible pro cheer auditionees are quick to follow pro cheerleading routines such as split leaps and bend-down to hair-toss moves.
Having a flexible body has various health benefits for you as well. This includes improved posture, physical performance, positive state of mind, blood circulation, and balance. During your workouts, you also become more tolerant to pain.
Now, here are important strategies to follow when training to be more flexible.
1. Always warm-up
Cold muscles are stiff for stretching and forcing them to will only lead to injuries. Warm muscles are much more relaxed with loose joints. This allows your limbs to move in all directions for stretching.
2. Make stretching a regular habit
The secret to achieving a pro dancer’s level of flexibility is daily training. After getting off the bed, they do warm-ups followed by dynamic stretchings. In the afternoon they do lighter warm-ups again followed by static stretchings.
3. Set goals
The most important tip for improving your pro cheer dancing is to know what you want to achieve and when to achieve it. Like for example, if you want to perform a perfect jump split, you need to first improve your vertical jump and straddle split.
To achieve this, you must set a schedule and duration of when to practice vertical jumping or do its workouts. The same goes for warm-ups and simple stretching exercises. Set a deadline and desired flexibility level in your stretching exercise schedule.
4. Know your hurdles
There will be a lot of issues that will hold you back from improving your dancing. Most of these are from within yourself. The key is to identify what this hurdle is and work on it. If your stiff muscles prevent you from stretching, you must first avoid overexercising.
5. Treat pain as part of the process
As you stretch, you’ll feel slight discomfort when trying to go beyond your current flexibility level. This is normal. And don’t worry, you’ll recover after flexibility training. After that, your target muscles will stretch even further.
6. Apply proper technique during stretchings
Avoid fainting or falling off your balance by getting enough oxygen. Don’t breathe aggressively or hold your breath. Be in proper form to get proper flexibility. If available, have a spotter who knows proper stretching forms to assist you.
7. Don’t go beyond a little discomfort
Rushing to be flexible through sudden stretches will only cause painful injuries. Remember that proper technique in flexibility training is a must. Slowly get into a tolerable stretching position with a tolerable discomfort, hold it there for a few seconds, breathe properly, then go back to your comfortable position to rest.
8. Do static stretches only at the end of the day
Doing your static stretching during the early part of the day will reduce your body’s strength and power output. This will hinder you from performing your daily and audition prep activities.
Schedule your static stretches only in the afternoon or evening where you no longer have anything else to do but relax. Also, keep in mind to do only dynamic stretching and not static stretching before the auditions.
9. Stretch all parts of your body
Stretch your body in a correct order starting from your head to toes. Don’t stretch on one limb for flexibility, stretch your opposite limb as well. The idea is to have every part of your body equally flexible.
10. Wear stretchable clothing
Some clothes will prevent you from moving your muscles and joints in full mobility such as jeans or cotton clothing. That is why you should wear body fit apparel with spandex fabric when doing stretches.
Like working out to be fit, you must not overdo yourself. When your body tells you to stop, you must stop immediately to avoid injuries. To be flexible, you must stretch every day. Schedule when your stretchings will be and how much you should do. And don’t forget to wear appropriate clothing so you can stretch without difficulty.
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