With the new year not quite behind us, there are resolutions continuing to come out of our ears. It is without a doubt that dancers continue to aspire to better themselves (not just at new year), and a common area they wish to improve is their flexibility. Stretching in order to achieve this can be a contentious subject, with different ideas about how to create a safe and successful stretching routine.
Many dancers constantly stretch to push themselves past the limits of their flexibility, in hopes of extending their physical capabilities, however the way this is done must be safe. Over-stretching can be a very real problem, especially for dancers whose muscles are still developing; it can even limit flexibility through causing unnecessary damage to muscles. It is important not to fall into bad stretching habits, especially if a stretch routine has been built up over time. Here there is a danger of simply going through the motions and not connecting the body with the mind to inform the routine with how we are feeling.
Make sure you prepare for deep stretches sufficiently, in a way that means you will get the most flexibility results and the smallest risk of injury. Respect your body and its ability – you only have one! – by paying attention to how you enter a stretch. Start from a stable place to keep you safe and secure throughout the stretch and take note of the pathway of how you enter a stretch. Tune into your breath while stretching, and lengthen your spine as you breathe in. As your breathe out, go deeper into the stretch and try to maintain the deeper position after that breath cycle.
It is vital that stretching is not rushed: take care of your timing to avoid the risk of injury. Work with your body rather than against it, and don’t force it into a place it isn’t ready to go. Not only can this overstretch and strain muscles but it can also hinder your flexibility progress. Stretching causes tiny tears in the muscles, and the muscle lengthens when the fibres heal and re-connect longer than they were before. Ensure your body has time to recover, rather than continue to stretch and cause scar tissue which causes soreness and fatigue.