Now that I'm back, it's horrifying to see these lovely articles from DanceSpirit. I needed them before I left, not after! Okay, okay, considering the fact that I gained a few pounds and probably got flabby, I do need them now. But then I thought, maybe some of you haven't left for vacation yet, or you're just trying to find good ways to stay in shape by staying in your room (not paying for gym membership or going to tons of dance classes).
The 7 Best Moves for Your Dancer Bod by Alison Feller is a great piece. Short, to the point, and complete with pictures to guide you, this article details some stretches and exercises that are great for toning and/or staying that way. Some are new (lunge walk with a twist!), some are old (plank, ugh).
Tone Up Your Muffin Top from the same author contains a list of core exercises that are geared towards working not only your superficial core muscles (crunches take care of that), but also your deeper ones. By toning all of those muscles, you'll burn fat, build a stable core for all of your dancing needs, and achieve a flat stomach.
The Dos and Don'ts of Cross Training by Julie Diana provides great info on what other exercise styles dancers can participate in that will be beneficial to their dancing. Everyone already knew about Pilates and Yoga, but who ever thought of skiing and weight training as helpful? Fantastic! While I'm at school, I like to go to the gym and do 20 minutes on the elliptical, plus a few minutes of weight training (10 lb weight, 5 sets of 10), and oh, maybe see if I can beat my high score on the rowing machine's fish game!
I may not be the most toned (not at all) or skinniest (not fat, but on the wrong side of "normal healthy range") dancer, but now I can say I'm one of the most informed! Now if only I had the initiative to do anything about all of this knowledge...
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