We have written many articles on keeping your self mentally fresh and energized. This article is about the importance of keeping yourself physically fit. I am not just talking about working out, but how to keep your body feeling physically good without the major aches and pains. If you have taught long enough you know the physical toll teaching and dancing each and every day can take on your body. It is tough when one minute you are dancing then you are cooling off only to teach again and put your body under undo stress. Over the years, talking to many teachers one thing we all experience is aching feet and legs. Standing sometimes in excess of five hours can be tough. Here are a few keys to keeping yourself healthy and fit!
Find time in every class to stretch yourself. Join in whenever you can. Be careful that you have adequately warmed up so you do not stretch without previously raising your core temperature. Pay close attention to stretching your feet, calves and shins. Suffering from aching feet, calves and shins are common ailments for a lot of teachers. Here are some very effective exercises that you can do in as little as five minutes .They can make a big difference to keeping pain at bay.
(A) Calf Stretch, Get close to a wall and stand about a foot away. Take one leg and put the ball of your foot on a wall with your heel on the floor. Now slowly bend your knee. This is a great stretch and should be done at the end of every class if you can fit it in. Hold it for about 30 seconds each leg.
(B) Foot stretch, Take your shoes off and work your toes in opposite directions. Next place some pencils on the floor and pick them up with your toes.
(C) Shin and Ankle stretch, Get close to a wall and stand about a foot away. Stand on one leg, take your other leg and cross it over the leg you are standing on. Now take the foot of the leg you just crossed over and point it and place it on the floor on the outside of your standing leg. Slowly bend the standing leg, at the same time bend the other knee. Keep pressing forward to feel the stretch in the shin and top of the foot and ankle.
Find time to get in some cardio work. It can be in a gym on a treadmill, elliptical glider, rowing machine, jogging, biking or any other activity that will elevate your heart rate and keep it up for at least thirty minutes two to three times a week. This is a great way to clear your mind and build up energy and stamina. As you know it takes a lot of hard work to get through a season. Keeping yourself at a high energy level will help you stay mentally sharp as well.
About five years ago, Angela my wife slipped and fell in a restaurant and tore a tendon in her foot. She kept on teaching with a lot of pain that season until she finally had to shut it down. She ended up having surgery and being out of commission for six months. Sometime we have a serious injury that we just need to take care of. If you have a recurring pain or problem dont wait, go and see your doctor. Dancers have a tendency to just work through the pain when it may be that you can alleviate the problem with just a little therapy or medicine. Avoid getting to the point where you are in a lot of pain all the time or it will zap your energy both physically and mentally.
Hopefully you will have a pain free year. Just keep in mind that you are not a machine and that you need to take care of yourself so that you will get the best results. Another great idea is to try to get a massage every couple of months. Go ahead and reward yourself for a job well done, you deserve it!
