How to Improve Your Core Strength for Dancing
Athleticism and dancing go hand in hand. That’s because dancing is both an art and a sport. To be a good dancer, you don’t need plenty of hours for practicing alone. You must also train your body well, especially your core muscles through various exercises. Why is that and what exercises should you do to strengthen your core? All will be answered below.
What Is Core Strength and Why Is It Important in Dancing?
1. Balance and stability
A strong core makes it easy for a dancer to quickly regain their balance after a flurry of movements. Without a trained core, you’ll find it hard to prevent yourself from falling over due to your body’s angular momentum, especially with dance moves that require you to spin in place.
2. Hypermobility and less prone to injuries
In pro cheerleading or other types of dancing, there are moves that require flexibility. A common example is the straddle split. Having a strong core will help you prevent your back and pelvis from spraining by holding your bones in place connected to your joints.
3. Better movement control
Core strength improves your control over your extremities. This allows you to dance without looking flabby like an inflatable air dancer. As a result, you’ll appear more vigorous when handling a pompom or performing a high kick.
Improve Your Core Strength for Dancing With These 5 Workouts
1. Single-arm press
This dumbbell exercise improves the strength of your anterior core and obliques. It’s also a good workout to burn fat, increase shoulder and upper body strength, and for building muscle. To do this exercise right, you must engage your core as you lift the dumbbell up.
2. Bear crawl
The bear crawl is a full-body workout but it mostly targets the abdominal muscles. As a bonus, it develops and strengthens your quads while improving your cardiovascular condition. To do this workout properly, don’t look down and backward. Don’t raise your head and look forward as well. Just keep on facing downward.
3. Kettlebell bridge pullover
Core muscles don’t just refer to your abs. Your back muscles such as the latissimus dorsi are also a part of your core. This workout specifically targets that area. If you don’t have a kettlebell, you can use a dumbbell as a substitute. Remember to follow proper breathing techniques so you won’t tire easily or feel cramps.
4. Hollow body hold
Aside from strengthening your core muscles, the hollow body hold or just hollow hold also targets your glutes and hip flexors. This is a workout that gymnasts include in their daily routine to improve their balance.
There are many variations to do it. But as an adult, the correct way to perform a hollow body hold is to stretch your arms overhead and upwards while keeping your feet and lumbar curve off the floor.
5. Plank hip dips
Don’t underestimate this workout. It may be easy to look at but it can drain your stamina and cause a lot of back pain if you do it wrong. Just as the instructor says in the video, “When it comes to the core, the slower the better.” So don’t rush this exercise. Take your time and breathe properly to maximize the benefits you’ll receive.
Core workouts are challenging to do because breathing properly is hard while you’re at it, especially when you’re holding a plank position. You must practice doing all kinds of breathing patterns while holding an ordinary plank. When you’ve successfully held a plank without breaking a pattern, do all of the 5 workouts found on this list.
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Pro cheerleaders stay fit, flexible, and strong so they can give out their best performance in the arena. However, achieving that wow-worthy, toned physique doesn’t happen overnight. You need to arm yourself with the right daily workouts.
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