Preparing to Dance in the Winter Months

The colder months can provide challenges for any athlete. Whether your sport or activity has ongoing games during these months or you just want to keep yourself ready and in playing condition for the upcoming season, training and working out in the winter can be downright difficult and uncomfortable.

There are a number of reasons training for dance can feel like a burden during the winter months. First, you have to deal with all of the potential illnesses that make their rounds during these months. Tiredness and fatigue tend to set in during these months as well.

When it comes to preparing for your dance classes and recitals during these months, there are a variety of factors to consider and follow through on to help ensure you are ready mentally and physically for dancing. You want to make sure you dress properly and warm up properly as well.

What to Wear

Before going to your dance class, be sure to dress warmly. This means long pants, warm socks, and plenty of sweaters and layers. Cold muscles can lead to injury so you want to stay warm. You of course, want to start with what you are going to wear to dance class and add to that. As your class progresses, you will have multiple layers you can remove as you also don’t want to overheat yourself. By the end of the class you may just find yourself in your normal dance attire.

Stay Healthy

This is much easier said than done. You can take all the precautions in the world and still end up with the cold or flu. This makes dance practice uncomfortable and miserable. So be sure to take care of your health as best as possible, whether it be through teas, herbal remedies, vitamins, or even cold medicine when it gets to that point.

Meals

There are meals out there that will actually help “warm” you up. These meals will help heat up your entire body including your muscles. These meals include oatmeal, toasts, teas, coffee, eggs, and grilled fruits. For later meals, soups, grilled sandwiches, rice, and pasta in moderation work great when trying to heat your body up.

Workout

Before every dance class or recital, you are going to practice and warm up to prepare yourself for the vigorous activity that lies ahead. However, during the winter months your muscles are tighter and less resilient due the cold. You’re going to want to do a light warm-up early and often, but not to the point where you experience fatigue right before and during your class or routine. Your instructor should have light warmups you can perform that will help loosen you up without leaving you too exhausted to perform.

Stretching

Stretching may be in fact one of the most important aspects of preparing for your dance classes during the winter months. With tighter and stiffer muscles, your chances of pulling or injury one increase. You want to make sure you have the fluidity needed to perform your complex dance moves confidently and with more peace of mind.

Preparing to Dance with A Step Above

For more tips and pointers about dance or if you are interested in taking dance classes, whether you’re a veteran or a beginner, we have something for you. Call us today at 630-326-9600. You can also reach us via email at info@astepaboveacademy.net.