Oh! my aching (insert body part here)! You don't have to be of a certain age to feel the affects of a spirited night of dancing. There are plenty of youngsters who complain just as loudly-it just goes with the territory. We can do some things to help minimize the discomfort though.
Stretch! Do some gentle stretching before and after you cut that rug. Yoga classes will give you more flexibility and help your body alignment.
Take ibuprofen, aspirin or the OTC painkiller of your choice before you go to that class or dance event.
When you get home, ice what ails you or apply heat. A hot shower or bath will relax you and help you sleep. My heating pad is my best friend.
Don't start busting out your biggest moves the moment you hit the dance floor. Have an easy going warm-up dance or two first.
If you have an injury or condition that limits your movement tell your partner-especially if you are a Follower. I have a shoulder that complains from time to time and I always let my partners know when that happens. I've never danced with a Leader who wasn't gracious enough to dance around my injury. Leaders, if back pain is a problem you might want to avoid that dip at the end.
If dancing Lindy Hop to fast music batters your body then work up to faster tempos slowly. You can also do some conditioning outside of the dance environment. Fast walking on a regular basis will increase your stamina; so will turning on faster music and doing simple footwork for the entire song. Do that to a few tunes everyday and I guarantee you will get faster. Learn Balboa!
You don't have to dance to every song. Sit one out and watch the other dancers or talk to your friends or meet new ones.
Keep working on your dance technique. Good technique will help you avoid injuries.
Do you have a "keep dancing" routine to share?
a side note on applying heat to injury's You should NEVER apply heat to an injured or strained muscle heat is good for tense muscles though.
ReplyDeleteJust Chanel Rob van winkle and ice ice baby :) and elevate!