Summer is a time for most young dancers to take it easy and enjoy the summer break from school.
Most kids chill out, take a summer vacation with their parents, and just have fun with their family and friends.
Some dancers take a break from dance completely, while others may take fewer classes than they do during the school year.
So whether you are taking a break from dance completely in summer or just taking fewer classes, below are some tips on other activities you can get involved in to stay fit and keep your body in “dance shape”.
Some people will call these activities “cross training” but whatever you call these activities, they will help keep the young dancer healthier and ready to return to a full dance schedule in fall.
Yoga/Pilates
Take a Yoga or Pilates class which features low-impact exercises and will help a dancer’s flexibility. Both of these activities help you work on controlling your breathing and can help you target specific muscle groups.
Weight Training
No we are not suggesting heavy weight lifting, however it is good to focus on your core, biceps and legs, which are all important for a successful dancer.
Pick out a few machines that will let you concentrate on the above and do 3 sets (10 repetitions) on a few machines a couple times a week to maintain the long, lean look of a dancer.
Summer sports
Two popular summer sports are swimming and biking, and both can help you keep in dance shape.
Swimming offers a great exercise to build endurance and causes very little or no stress on the joints.
Biking can help build leg strength and endurance and is also low resistance.
The nice thing about both of these activities is that they help you keep in shape, they are fun, and they are activities that can be enjoyed with friends.
[Image courtesy of arztsamui at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.]
