Exercise has a thousand and then some more benefits for our bodies, and helping you dance better is definitely a byproduct of good exercise practices. Most forms of dance require different types of physical abilities, some require more flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, etc… Incorporating specific types of exercise into your daily or weekly routine will help you build or improve on these physical abilities. We’ve put together some exercises you can try at your discretion to help improve your dancing.

Exercise #1 Cardio
Cardio is very beneficial to dancers. Not only does cardio help your cardiovascular system, it can help you feel lighter in the dance studio and help you dance with more ease. Getting your run or jog in, whether outside or on a treadmill, is a great addition to any workout regimen for dancers.

Exercise #2 Stretches
Want to improve flexibility? Start stretching!  A 30-minute stretch session each day, with each stretch lasting a minute to 90-seconds, will tremendously help your flexibility. Stretching helps your muscle groups expand and will improve your endurance — all things that will make you a better dancer. Once you’ve added a solid stretching routine to exercise, you’ll notice your jumps, landing and steps all look smoother. You’ll be able to twist and contort your body more and more as you continue to stretch daily.

Exercise #3 Push-Ups
Push-ups don’t just make your arms look great, but they will also help your dancing. Push- ups help strengthen the chest, arms and back and will really help improve posture. You can also expect to see an increase in your core strength from push-ups, which will improve balance in and out of dance class!

Exercise #4 Squats and Lunges
Dancers need strong legs! Squats and lunges are the best way for dancers to strengthen their thighs, legs and butt. Squats and lunges don’t just increase strength but also flexibility and balance and will help dancers jump higher and have stronger landings.

Exercise #5 Sit-ups and Crunches
Core strength is everything. Our core keeps everything connected and strong. Sit-ups and crunches are the best way we can work out our core at home to improve our dance practice. Sit-ups and crunches will help strengthen your hips, arms, abs — your entire body benefits from sit-ups and crunches. You will see overall improvement from jumps and landings to overall ease improvement in your performance.

In addition to these exercises, talk to your dance instructor about the best ways to strengthen and improve your dance at home. If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us about dance, is that we need to keep up our practice even at home — hopefully you will be able to add these exercises into your daily life and see the benefits on and off of the stage.

Dance Classics teachers and instructors are knowledgeable on the best way to improve your dancing even when you can’t be in the studio. If you are in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and are interested in dance classes, personal instruction or advice on improving your dance practice at home — contact us today!