Dance Vs Physio!

This month I have been exploring how many exercises physios recommend that are actually done in a dance warm up?

We have explained why exercise is good for us in my last article and I have noticed recent articles singing a similar tune. An article in ‘Good Housekeeping’ last month, written by Anniki Sommerville was entitled, “Science finally found the solution to sticking with exercise”, which is encouraging to see and a good read!

And when you start to notice similarities in exercises performed in a dance warm up compared to what is advised from a physiotherapist, surely that provides encouragement to stick with a class that ultimately will benefit your body?

Going through the warm up routine I have executed for years, it now makes me understand why I may have kept myself so strong and uninjured. Have I been protecting my body for all these years? Lets find out!

My warm up routine consists of isolation work to begin with, which are considered joint mobilisation exercises, which lubricates the joints. We progress to dynamic stretching, which loosens the muscles and joints. Warm muscles are more pliable and less susceptible to injury. A dance warm up is an overall body workout and is generally longer than a normal class warm-up, targetting almost every muscle in your body, so get ready for an extensive list!

Lets start from the top!

Neck Isolations

Used for neck pain or tightness of the SCM muscle, but at a slower rate. For an advanced physio exercise use your hand to gently pull the neck to either side. For forward stretching hold a fist under the chin and pull forward.

Shoulder Rotations, Isolations & Arm Circles

Used for shoulder impingement – Mainly consisting of shoulder rotations stood up, and arm circles/pendulums with the body leaned over the corner of a table

Rib Isolations

Not used as a physio exercise but good for raising body temperature and warming up the blood.

Hip Rotations

Not used as a physio exercise but can help with hip rotation giving you that 20 degrees needed in order to walk without future pain. It can also help with alignment especially if one hip is out.

Plies

Used by Physios to assess if you have collapsing arches of the feet and what your knee alignment is doing. In class it helps with spine and hip alignment. It is more of a prevention exercise than a recovery exercise and works the inside thigh muscle.

Torso & Back Stretch Combination in 2nd Position

Broken down this exercise is recommended by many Physios; The side stretch known as abduction, with lateral flexion, is used for breast pain with chest wall musculoskeletal symptoms.

Release

Not used by Physios. In dance it is used as a transition move to the next combination giving release to the back as you arch and bend the knees, lowering the torso to the ground.

Lunges, Side & Forward

This works the hip flexors when performed forward and the inner thighs when performed to the side. This is recommended by Physios to release tight hips.

Seated Butterfly/Frog Stretch with Flat and Contracted Back

Not used by Physios but works the hip flexors and the back, increasing flexibility to prevent future injuries.

Seated Hamstring Stretch with Legs Forward

This is to lengthen your hamstrings if you have tight muscles in that area. It encourages flexibility and lengthening of the muscles and used as part of an assessment for injury of the lower limbs by Physios.

Seated Torso & Back Stretch Combination in 2nd Position

Used to assess how tight your hamstrings are at that moment in time. So yes, this is used by a Physio to lengthen your hamstrings and increase flexibility.

Horton Seated Swing Lift in 2nd Position

This is not used by a Physio but it is a great mobility exercise to increase flexibility.

30 degree Sit up combination; Legs on the floor, Pointed to the ceiling & 2nd Position

Physios use a 30 degree sit up known as a half curl to assess strength in the abdominal area, as well as using it for increasing strength to activate the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique and trans-versus abdominis. So yes! This is used a lot by physiotherapists and with the different leg positions I use within the combination and diagonal half curls, we really are activating all the above.

Single Leg Stretch & Straight Leg Stretch & Grand Rond de Jambe Combination

Physios use this to help release and unlock tightness and pain in the hips flexors. My warm up takes it one step further with the rond de jambe to provide a mobility exercise.

Open Book

Used and recommended by Physios for opening the chest, reliving breast pain and mobilising the spine.

Cat Stretch

A great exercise to release and lengthen the whole spine, you will feel the effect immediately in your lower lumbar region of your spine. Physios will recommend this if you are sat at a desk for most of the day.

Cat & Cow

Another release and mobility exercise for the spine, used in pilates and yoga classes as well as a dance warm up. This is more of a prevention exercise, than a Physio exercise.

Press ups

A strengthening exercise for the arms; shoulders and upper back. Recommended by Physios as a prevention exercise.

Cross Body & Triceps Stretch

Used a lot by Physios for releasing and opening the upper back and shoulder blades as well as shoulder impingements and rotator cuff tears.

Forward Fold with Feet in Parallel

Used as an assessment by Physios for flexibility in the hamstrings and calf muscles. A great exercise that lengthens the muscles in the back of the legs as well as your back.

Roll Through the Spine to Stand

This is a mobility exercise not a Physio exercise

Calf Rises

A recommended exercise from Physios. Good for the achilles as well as strengthening the calf muscles and mobility for the ankles and toes.

Although not all of the exercises have direct correlational to physiotherapy you can not help notice the similarities the exercises pose, as well as used to a more preventative measure against future injuries. A Ballet class also mirrors some exercises used by Physiotherapist as well as Pilates which originally created for injured ballet dancer and Yoga classes too. So we are not just having fun and keeping fit, we are preventing potential future injuries. To me this is really encouraging with what feels like a cross over with industries that are beneficial to our health, singing from the same hymn book as it were! It’s a win win in my eyes! And I can not wait for you to join me in this class in particular and give you all the benefits of injury prevention related exercise but you will hurt after your first class!

Biliography

Physiopedia; NHS Leeds Teaching Hospitals; Pilatesology; Responsephysio.com; Physioplushealth.com; Complete-physio.co.uk; ptsolutions.com; thebarbellphysio.com;