alternate exercising

[emilyt09]

so I have been told that running is not good for dancers. supposedly it makes you have bulky thighs. im trying to slim down my legs and am looking for some good cardio to help do so. I know swimming is good, but because it is winter my pool is much too cold. I also know that yoga/pilates and walking is good. Anything else?

is running ok to do?

[Mel Johnson]

Welcome, emily, to Ballet Talk for Dancers.

 

Running is not recommended for dancers, not because of building big thighs, but more for potential damage to the kneejoint. Have you ever watched a dancer from behind as she runs? There are great powerful strides, but when the leg gets in back of the runner, the legs come back and describe great, uncontrolled circles in the air because we've all been working so hard to build turnout and rotation from the hips. That flailing back there is what causes the damage to the knees. They aren't built to take much stress except from back to straight. Lateral stresses can tear the soft tissues to ribbons. Walking is fine. As for swimming, find an indoor heated pool!

[Victoria Leigh]

And don't forget, emily, ballet is all about lengthening and stretching, including the quads! If one is working correctly in ballet it will not bulk the thighs. In fact, it should lengthen them! Also keep in mind that large muscles can also be hereditary.

[blaise]

Also keep in mind that you can't spot reduce body parts.

 

If you can find an indoor heated pool at a local gym, that would be great for you. Moderate bike riding (on a stationary bike with low resistance works well) is also a decent cardio exercise that can provide dancers with an alternative to high impact activities like running. Like with any exercise, be sure to stretch a bit after you're warm. My orthopedist at the Harkness center for dance injuries had me on a bike when I was recovering from a knee injury since it was a "safe" exercise.

[xSugarplum]

I would second the suggestion or finding a heated pool somewhere...swimming will make you leaner all over, which is never a bad thing for anyone, dancer or not.

 

I'll disagree on the statement that you can't spot-reduce certain body parts, though. There was a time when I was obsessed with my upper arms getting smaller and I had pretty good success of toning them up without adding bulkiness with the use of very light weights.

[Mel Johnson]

Ah, but that's going UP! What's tough is going DOWN! You can reduce the bulkiness of leg muscles by stretching, but because of the nature of the limb, the whole thing gets stretched, not just, say, the quads. You can't reduce the size of your waist without the whole thing getting smaller. You can, however, reduce a paunch by toning up the frontal abdominal muscles.

[panda bear 16]

What can I do to improve cardio, a pool is currently very hard to get to during public swim times due to my dance schedual. I hate running I find it boring, how ever I enjoy cycling with a friend. I also take Yoga and palaties at the local YMCA.

[Mel Johnson]

Stick with the bike, and stretch out after.

[blaise]

Ah, but that's going UP! What's tough is going DOWN! You can reduce the bulkiness of leg muscles by stretching, but because of the nature of the limb, the whole thing gets stretched, not just, say, the quads. You can't reduce the size of your waist without the whole thing getting smaller. You can, however, reduce a paunch by toning up the frontal abdominal muscles.

 

Exactly. If you build muscle (bulky or lean), then you'll help your body burn more fat since it's the muscles working that reduces fat when you do aerobic exercise. But when you lose weight, you lose it all over. Your body can't target a specific area for slimming down body mass.

[xSugarplum]

You guys have a point.

 

I'm also going to mention elliptical machines. They're personally what I use, and I think they're great. For me personally they're much easier on the knees than biking, but they are really in between running and biking, with almost zero impact. If you can find a place where there are elliptical trainers, that would be the best bet. I love those things! Most gyms should offer at least a few of them. I've been known to wait around for one, but it's worth it. I run about 45 mins a day on it, and though my joints get pretty easily irritated, I've never gotten pain of any kind using it. Plus side is that there are also arm batons to hold onto (they move with your legs), so you're really getting a full body work out.

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, ellipticals are good things. I like them myself. But make sure that there's somebody there trained to train you how to use the gadget properly. I busted the first one I tried!

[blaise]

Ellipticals make me motion sick, particularly when I use the arm thingies. They are not for everyone.

[livelaughdance]

can one really lengthen their muscles just by stretching? especially the leg muscles.. that's my concern. my teacher told me to go running especially on the beach over break because running on sand increases the strength in not only your legs, but also in the feet since i need to "get more athletic legs." i don't know what to do.

[Victoria Leigh]

The best way to lengthen muscles is to learn how to do ballet correctly. But yes, they can be lengthened to some extent, with the right kind of work.

[Shelberina]

On the previous note of cardio, I like to jump rope on the weekends to my favorite songs on my iPod. Supposedly, if you can jump rope for 7 minutes straight, you are in perfect cardio health.

 

<-- Now just imagine him with a jump rope!