Good Tips

Here's a good tip we all need to remember:

Cool Down

Protect your body from injury by cooling down after class or a strenuous rehearsal. "It reduces the stress on your heart and helps remove some of the fluid that builds up in muscle tissue during times of intense activity," says Michael Leslie, SF Ballet's physical therapist. "You'll get rid of the byproducts that can build up and cause soreness, and be better prepared for your next rehearsal." Here's how:

Walk it off. Low-grade aerobic activity lowers your heart rate naturally and gradually, Leslie says. At the end of a strenuous rehearsal, walk around the studio for a few minutes at a slow-to-moderate pace.

Put your feet up. Leslie recommends lying on the floor with your legs up against a wall for about 10 minutes after class. "That lets gravity do the work for you, getting the fluid out of the lower extremities," he says.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h. "Ideally, dancers would take 30 minutes to strech all the major muscle groups in the legs, arms, and back after working," says Leslie. Particularly important are longer muscles in the legs- quads and hamstrings. Only have a few minutes? Focus on your calves, he says. "They're the most over-worked muscle group among dancers."

Until next time,
Cari