Get The Most From Your Summer Intensive!
Are you headed to an intensive this summer, or planning to devote time to some extra classes? Awesome! Summer is a great time to get stronger and learn new skills. In an effort to help you get the most out of your summer experience, I’m going to offer a few tips.
KNOW HOW TO WARM UP! No, that doesn’t mean sitting and stretching before barre while you chat with your friends. This is a hard habit to break, but we’ve got to start changing how we get our bodies ready for the demands of class. Your warm up before you place your hand on that barre must be cardio. Work up to a light sweat and get a bit out of breath. This should take about 5-10 minutes and needs to happen right before you go into class. Get creative here! Put in your earbuds and simply get moving. You can do jumping jacks, jog in place with low and high knees, burpees, and the list goes on, you get the idea. You’ll figure out what works for you. This is a great strategy for injury prevention to ensure your tissues are warm and ready for the demands of class. If you feel you need to, you can include some controlled dynamic stretching after your cardio, such as butt kickers and low battments in parallel. With your body adequately prepared for barre, you’ll not only be dancing safer, you’ll get more out of your class.
SLEEP! Intensives are called intensives for a reason. They can be exhausting because you probably aren’t used to dancing so many hours per day. You. Must. Sleep. The risk of injury increases when we are tired, whether that’s at the end of a long day and you’re running your variation “just one more time”, or at the end of a long week or performance season. Sleep is restorative and must be a priority. If you usually sleep 8 hours a night, don’t be surprised if during your intensive you need closer to 10. Listen to your body and allow time for enough sleep.
FUEL UP! You know that saying “you are what you eat”? Especially during intensives, fuel your body with healthy nutrient dense whole foods. Intensives are hard on your body, and you want to give your tissues everything they need to thrive. Healthier eating will give you healthier bones and tissues which is not only essential for injury prevention, but will also help you heal faster if an injury does occur. Examples include dark leafy greens, avocados, nuts and natural nut butters (check the label and make sure it doesn’t have added sugar and other things that are hard to pronounce), fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Keep easy snacks in your dance bag. You want to be able to sustain your energy to avoid fatigue and injury, and over processed foods, or simply not eating enough, is a recipe (pun intended) for potential disaster.
HYDRATE! Hydration is also vital for optimal performance, and is often underestimated. You can improve your performance and lower your risk of injury simply by being adequately hydrated before you begin! You will most likely get everything you need from just water, so unless you’re exercising at intense levels for more than an hour or so, avoid the sports drinks that usually include a bunch of junk you don’t want in your body anyway. Try to drink 15-20 ounces of water 1-2 hours before class, then 8-10 ounces 15 minutes before you begin. Stay ahead of your thirst. Drinking water during class isn’t always realistic, so make sure you take advantage of any breaks to re-hydrate, and then make a point of doing so after class as well. Simply being well hydrated can make movements that seemed hard before feel easier because your body is able to be more efficient. Try it!
GET HELP! And last, but certainly not least, listen to your body! If you’re having pain beyond normal muscle soreness that lasts more than a couple days, seek out help. Hopefully there’s a dance medicine specialist on staff, or at least close by, that can help you get the most out of your intensive.
Have a great summer!!
Dr. Aimee
