Listen to Your Body

"Be Patient. With your body. With your time. With yourself." - anonymous.

      It is a common trend that dancers are sore, overworked, or tired. As dancers we know there is a certain risk we are putting ourselves up for every single time we take the floor. What most people do not realize is that a dancer is putting their body at just as much risk as a football player is.
       The first step at making sure you don't get a career ending injury is listening to your body. You know your limits. If you are profusely hurting or in excruciating pain then you must listen to your body right then in that moment. When you ignore your body attempting to tell you that something is wrong you are raising that risk of injury even higher. Now, dancers, soreness from workouts is a good type of hurt that is making you get better so do not stop from doing your abdominal or other workouts because it "burns," that type of burn is something you should crave not despise.
         The scary thing about this is that most dancers know their body is hurting and that they should sit but they can not accept defeat. What dancers need to get over is that rest is not defeat, it is just a realization of what your body needs so that you may get better. High expectations is a great thing until you don't allow yourself rest because of it. Rest one rehearsal now or miss three competitions in the future, it is ultimately your choice. Just remember a small injury now can turn into a career ending injury within the future.
         It is absolutely crazy how a dancer knows how much risk their is but we forget about it in the moment to be able to do what we love. Maybe this is because dance is a way of expression and a way to get everything out that couldn't be put into words, and it just makes you feel good.
Something to think about: "Yes, I am in recovery. Because even though today was hard, I'm still choosing to be here tomorrow." - anonymous