Exercising has a thousand and one benefits, one of which involves helping you dance better. Most forms of dance typically require various types of physical skills, some of which incorporate strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility. Incorporating certain types of exercise into your daily or weekly routine will help you develop or improve on these physical abilities. Here are some exercises you can start trying out at home to help you dance better.
Exercise #1 Cardio
Running and jogging promotes endurance and strength and will help you improve your cardio, so don’t hesitate to start using them now. Not only do they help develop these qualities but they will also help you feel lighter in the dance studio and help you dance with ease.
Exercise #2 Stretches
Want to improve your flexibility? Start stretching. Stretch every day for about 30 minutes with each stretch lasting about a minute to 90 seconds. Stretching will help your muscle groups expand, will make you unbelievably flexible, will improve your endurance and will inadvertently make you dance better. As you begin stretching, your jumps, landings, steps and strides will all look smoother and better. You would notice that you can twist and twist your body like never before. You would also be less prone to injuries and would experience fewer body pains following dance lessons. If you want to spread out your stretches, you can stretch 2-3 times a day every day with about 2-4 hours intervals between each stretch.
Exercise #3 Push-Ups
Not only do push-ups make you look ripped, but they will also help you dance better. Push-ups help strengthen your chest, arms and back and will help you with an enhanced posture. It will also increase the strength of your core and help you balance better in and out of dance classes.
Exercise #4 Squats and lunges
Squats and lunges help strengthen your thighs, legs and butt. They help develop flexibility, strength and balance and will help a dancer jump higher and perfect his/her landing. They promote mobility and balance and will help you dance with ease.
Exercise #5 Sit-ups and crunches
Sit-ups and crunches will help strengthen your hips, arms, abs and your entire body. Your jumps will look smoother and stronger and your landings will be flawless. These exercises will help strengthen your core and makes it easier to balance.
In addition to these, you can ask your teacher for exercises you can do to help strengthen any weak group of muscles he/she may have noticed you have during dance lessons. Remember, exercise is great for your body so start practising it regardless of your age.