Dance Resource Guide - Fitness/Conditioning

Cardiorespiratory training is an essential part of the physical training of a dancer. You need stamina to get through a choreography, especially if you’re dancing a very energetic style of dance, but cardio training is also important because it allows you to maintain proper technique throughout, which makes you less prone to injury.

Light Cardio (quick lap, jumping jacks, jogging in place)

The most effective way to improve your blood flow and heart rate and prepare your muscles for stretching is to begin with a dynamic exercise consisting of a series of short movements.

High Knees

Stand tall with your leg shoulder width apart, begin this motion, alternate between each of your knees one at a time, lifting and lowering your legs at the same steady speed. Lift your left knee as high as you can and then lower at the same speed, letting your foot touch the ground right before lifting your other knee.

Butt Kicks

Kick your shins back behind you to touch your buttocks with the bottom of your foot.

Jump Squats

Lower into a squat, your upper thighs should be parallel with the floor or lower. Once you've come to the bottom of the squat position, press down through your feet and jump up explosively.

Calf Raises

Calf raises combine a calf and hamstring stretch to help you become more supple. To complete a heel raise, stand tall with your feet facing towards the front, lift your heels off the ground until you're only standing on your toes, then return to the beginning position.

Arm Circles

Circulate your arms while they are extended through their complete range of motion while standing, increasing the size of your circles each time.

Lunges

From your quads to your glutes, lunge stretches are a terrific way to stretch several muscles in your lower body. To perform a lunge stretch, stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, then move one foot back behind you, bending your front knee and keeping your rear leg as straight as possible.

Breathing Exercises

Understanding the basics

Find a comfortable position.
Find a breathing technique that works for you.
Breathe slowly.
Use an alarm to control duration.
Timings of 5 minutes can be a good starting point.
Don’t rush what you are doing.

Deep breathing

Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
Breathe out slowly through your mouth and hold for 3 counts.
Take a deep breath through your nose and hold for about 5 seconds.
Repeat again.

Diaphragmatic breathing

Find a quiet place.
Start to become aware of how fast or slow you are breathing.
Put one hand on your chest and one on your abdomen just below your rib cage.
As you breathe in allow your abdomen to rise. Keep your mouth closed and breathe in through your nose.
As you breathe out through your nose allow your abdomen to flatten whilst keeping your chest as still as possible.
Allow your breathing to become smooth and regular.

The benefits of breathing for athletic performance