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Ballroom Dancing Stretches | Ballroom Stretching Exercises

BallroomDancingStretchesandFlexibilityExercises
Ballroomdancingstretchingexercisestoimproveyourperformanceanddoawaywith ballroominjuriesforgood.
Ballroomdancingreferstoaseriesofdancesperformedwithapartnerinboth,socialaswellascompetitivesettings.Dancingin competitionstylewillusuallyincorporateinternationallyknowndancessuchastheWaltz,theFoxTrot,theSambaandthePaso Doble.SomecompetitionswillalterthedancesandmixthetraditionalballroomdanceswithsomefasterstylessuchastheLindy Hop,Merengue,WestCoastSwingandtheTango. Ifyou'relookingtoimproveyourballroomdancingorjustseekingtopreventballroominjuriesitisimportanttofollowtheinformation inthisarticle.Inaddition,addingafewsimplestretchestoyourfitnessprogramwillalsohelp.Togetstartedonasafeandeffective stretchingroutinelearnmoreaboutTheStretchingHandbookandhowitcanimproveyourfitness. Whateverthedancestylesusedduringthecompetition,participantsareoftenscoredonsome verydiversecriteria.Dancersearnpointsfortheirpoise,posture,expressionism,timingand presentationaswellastheirfootandlegaction. OrganizeddancingactuallybegansomewhereduringtheRenaissanceperiod,originatingin France,withtheverysolemnBasseDanse,thelivelyPavaneandthecourtlyGalliarde. NextcametheMinuet,introducedin1650asanoffshootofthepeasantclassdance,thePoitou. ThatdancewoulddominatetheworlduntiltheendoftheEighteenthcentury.Itwasalsoduring thistimethatKingLouistheXIVfoundedthefirstdanceacademyknowntotheworldanditwas therethatballetwasintroduced. ThewaltzbeganduringtheVictorianEra,somewherearound1812,atokenofenjoymentduringa timeofstrifeacrossEurope.Whenthewarsended,andtreatieswereforgedacrossEurope, morecosmopolitandancessuchasthePolka,theMazurkaandtheSchottischewereaddedto theballroomtradition. Whatispracticedtodayinmodernballroomdancingactuallyhasitsrootsinthe19thcentury.Theearly1900'ssawtheUnitedStates andEuropesweptawaybythetangofromArgentinaandthefoxtrot,thefirsttrueAmericanballroomdance.Thejazzmovementof the1920'sinspiredtheCharleston,whichisaformofthejitterbugandtheQuickstep,whichisafasterversionofthefoxtrot. BallroomdancinghititspeakintheUnitedStatesinthe1930'swiththeemergenceofdanceformssuchastheSwing,theCuban RumbaandtheBrazilianSamba.TheCubanMambo,theChaChaandtheAmericanJivemadetheirdebutsonthedancescene aroundthe1940'sandchangedtheworldofballroomdancingforever.ThepopularityofdancepartnerssuchVernonandIreneCastle andFredAstaireandGingerRogers,onfilmandonstage,furtherfuelledtheballroomcrazeoncemore. Today,thethrillandexcitementisback.Thesheerbeautyofthedancesandtherhythmsandbeatsofthemusic,nottomentionthe sheerpassionandromancedisplayedbythetelevisioncompetitionshasdrawnmorecrowdsthaneverbeforetolocalclassesand competitions.Ballroomsarereopeningacrossthecountrytoencompassawholenewgenerationofeagerstudentswhoare influencedbywildlypopularrealityshowssuchasDancingWithTheStars,SoYouThinkYouCanDance,andtheAmerican BallroomDanceCompetition.

AnatomyInvolved
Ballroomdancingoffersatotalcardiovascularexercise,workingallofthemajormusclegroupsinvaryingdegreesofintensity, dependingonthedanceexecuted.Duringthefirstfewdays,newballroomdancerswillfeelpaininmusclestheydidn'tknowtheyhad.
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Ballroom Dancing Stretches | Ballroom Stretching Exercises

Forproperexecutionofthedancemoves,bothpartnersneedtohavegoodcoordination,aswellasanallovergoodphysicaltone. Muscularstrengthandmuscularenduranceareessentialintheupperbody,especiallythebackandarmsaswellasthelowerbody, primarilyinthecoresectionaswellasthelegsandcalves. Themajormusclegroupsthatwillgetaworkoutwithballroomdancinginclude: Thehipabductors,hipadductors,quadriceps,calves,thehamstringandgluteals. Theupperbackmuscles,especiallytheareaaroundtheshouldersandupperarmsincludingthetricepsandthegirdleand deltoidmuscles. Theabdominalandobliques,collectivelyknownasthe"core,"whichincludestheabdominalwallmusclesandthespinal erectors.

MostCommonBallroomInjuries
Whileballroomdancingmaynotappeartobeanactivityevenremotelyconnectedtoinjury,itisimportanttobeawareoftherealityof injury. Tendonitis:causedbyconstantandrepeatedstrainontendons,particularlyaroundtheelbows.Asudden,lancingpainwhenthe affectedjointismovedisthefirstsignofpotentialtendonitis.Furthermovementoftheaffectedareamayshowsignsofstiffness andcontinuedpain.Theweaknessmaycontinueuntilthestrainisfullyhealed. MuscleStrains:Themusclesoftheshoulders,neck,back,andlegsduringballroomdancingcanbesubjectedtomoretension thannormal,whichmakesthemvulnerabletostrainsduringexaggeratedmovements.Improperwarmupsorrepeatedextremely stressfulmovementsmayresultinstrainswherethemusclesareconnectedtothebones bytendons.Toomuchstressmaycausetearstoappearinthosetendons.Themost vulnerableareainthebodyfordancersistheknee,whereexcessivestrainingmovement couldresultinmeniscalliketearsinthelabrum.Thisconditionisquitepainful,andfurther activityshouldbeavoided.Ifthestrainisintheupperorlowerleg,nomovementsshould beattemptedotherthanlightwalkingforatleast72hours. MuscleCramp:usuallycausedbymuscletightness,fatigueorfluidimbalanceandarefelt aspainfulmusclecontractions.Stretchingbeforeandafterdancingcanhelppreventmuscle cramps.

InjuryPreventionStrategies
Amongthemostcommoninjuriesinballroomdancersarethosecausedbyoveruse.Repetitive movementsdoneforextendedperiodsoftimeplaceunduestressonthelegs,hips,feet,backs andshouldersofdancers.Thegoodnewsismostoftheinjuriesassociatedwithballroom dancingcanbeprevented. Aneffectivewaytopreventoveruseinjuriesistocomplementyourdailydanceclasseswithexercisesthatstretchandstrengthen thosemusclesthatarenotdevelopedbyyourdanceroutine. Oneofthebestthingsyoucandotopreventinjuriesduringballroomdancingistowarmupbeforeexecutinganymovesoutonthe floor.Besuretoperformsomeveryspecificstretchestowarmupandloosenallofthemusclegroupsthatwillbeinvolvedinyour danceroutineandpayparticularattentiontothoseareasthatyouknowarepronetoinjury.Keepinmindthatcoolingdownaftereach rehearsalorperformanceisjustasimportantasthewarmupsession. Duringthedance,beawareofyourmovingposturalalignment.Maintainproperposturetopreventbackstrainandmakesureyouare intheproperandbalancedpositionbeforeattemptingliftsordips. Whilewristbracesorelbowandkneepadsmaynotgowiththerestoftheoutfitontheactualdancenight,duringpracticesessionsit helpstowearabraceorwraponanyweakmuscleareatoprotectthetenderareas,suchastheback,knees,anklesandwrists.

TheTop3BallroomStretches
Stretchingisoneofthemostunderutilizedtechniquesforimprovingathleticperformance,preventingsportsinjuryandproperly rehabilitatingsprainandstraininjury.Don'tmakethemistakeofthinkingthatsomethingassimpleasstretchingwon'tbeeffective. Beloware3verybeneficialstretchesforballroomobviouslytherearealotmore,buttheseareagreatplacetostart.Pleasemake specialnoteoftheinstructionsbesideeachstretch.
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Ballroom Dancing Stretches | Ballroom Stretching Exercises

AssistedReverseChestStretch:Stand uprightwithyourbacktowardsatableor benchandplaceyourhandsontheedge. Bendyourarmsandslowlyloweryourentire body.

RotatingStomachStretch:Liefacedown andbringyourhandsclosetoyourshoulders. Keepyourhipsontheground,lookforward andriseupbystraighteningyourarms.The slowlybendonearmandrotatethatshoulder towardstheground.

KneelingQuadStretch:Kneelononefoot andtheotherknee.Ifneeded,holdonto somethingtokeepyourbalanceandthenpush yourhipsforward.

Whiletheabovestretchesareagoodstartingpoint,you'llgetalotmorebenefitwhenyouincludeawider rangeofexercises.Sotoimproveyourperformance,reduceinjuriesandreallytakeadvantageofallthe stretchingexercisesonoffer,grabacopyoftheStretchingHandbookandaccompanyingDVD.Together, theyinclude135clearphotographsand44videodemonstrationsofuniquestretchingexercisesforevery majormusclegroupinyourbody. TheDVDalsoincluded3customizedstretchingroutines(8minuteseach)fortheUpperBodytheLower BodyandtheNeck,Back&Core,plusabonusDVDROMfeaturethatallowsyoutoprintoutover80 stretchingroutinesfor22sportsand19differentmusclegroups. TheHandbookandDVDwillshowyou,stepbystep,howtoperformeachstretchcorrectly.Plus,you'llalsolearnthe7criticalrules forsafestretchingthebenefitsofflexibilityandhowtostretchproperly.CheckouttheStretchingHandbook&DVDforyourself.

ArticlebyBradWalkerandInjuryFix Copyright2012.Allrightsreserved.TermsofUse

AbouttheAuthor:BradisoftenreferredtoastheStretchCoachandhasevenbeencalledtheStretchingGuru.MagazinessuchasRunnersWorld, Bicycling,Triathlete,Swimming&Fitness,andTriathlonSportshaveallfeaturedhiswork.AmazonhaslistedhisbooksonfiveBestSellerlists.Google citesover100,000referencestohimandhisworkontheinternet.Andsatisfiedcustomersfrom42countrieshavesent100'softestimonials.Ifyouwantto knowaboutstretching,flexibilityorsportsinjurymanagement,BradWalkeristhegotoguy.

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