Athletic Training: Keeping Dancers Healthy and Fit

Anyone who has ever been to a ballet performance has seen how the dancers appear to glide effortlessly across the stage with acrobatic spins and jumps so difficult that they defy the imagination. Every move is executed with grace, discipline, and power. Years of dance lessons and practice made these performers the skilled dancers they are. What many people may not realize, however, is the critical role that athletic training can play in developing these talented dancers. Most people think that athletic training is the exclusive domain of athletes who play sports. But the reality is that dancers are athletes, too. The integration of an athletic training program into their conditioning regimen can help maintain the health and well-being of dancers.

Whether it is ballet, salsa, hip-hop, breakdancing, or other forms of dance—the key benefits derived from athletic training services are improved performance and reduced risk of injury to the dancer. Athletic trainers who work with dancers deliver preventative care which can prevent any injury from happening in the first place. But should an injury occur during a practice, warm-up, or performance, an athletic trainer can provide services that will help the dancer recover more quickly. Jatin Ambegaonkar, Professor of Athletic Training Education at George Mason University, recently offered his perspective on the importance of athletic training in enhancing the strength and power of dancers and improving their performance.

Athletic training can help reduce the stress placed on dancers.

To excel at professional or competitive dancing, an individual must work long and hard to develop the skills needed to perform in an aesthetically pleasing and technically flawless manner before an audience. Over time, this can take a toll on the dancer’s body and mind. The good news is that athletic training can alleviate some of the stress placed on dancers. It can help them enhance their strength, flexibility, balance, endurance, and physical control. This in turn will make it easier for dancers to focus their mental energies and concentration on their creative artistry when performing.

A conditioning program that incorporates progressive overload and periodization is one that can best meet the fitness requirements of professional dancers.

There are two evidence-based principles of athletic training that reside at the core of a conditioning and fitness program benefiting dancers. The first is known as “progressive overload training,” a practice commonly used in strength training. This is where the stress placed on an individual’s musculoskeletal system is gradually increased to build strength, power, and stamina. For example, the number of weights lifted, or repetitions completed in a resistance training program are slowly increased over an established duration of time. Exercise scientists say that including progressive overload into a training program will ensure that the dancer does not reach a plateau where they no longer realize any gains in their fitness or conditioning. Progressive overload training can also be used in designing a fitness program geared to improving an individual’s neuromuscular or cardiovascular systems.

Related to progressive overload training is the principle of periodization. This is where training is divided into distinct phases, with each phase having its own goal. In the strength-training scenario described above, stress loading would be “periodized” over several training phases of a specified duration. The intensity or volume of the stress placed on the dancer (measured by the number of weights lifted or repetitions completed) would vary with each phase of training and would depend on whether the dancer’s performance schedule was in the pre-season, post-season, or in-season cycle.

Professional dancers who perform as part of a dance troupe have different fitness requirements during each performance cycle. Incorporating the principles of periodization and progressive overload into a training program allows for the design of a fitness plan that is more intensive in-season when dancers need to perform at their peak. Conversely, it allows for a more modified regimen during the off-season when dancers require time to rest and “recharge” but still need to maintain a baseline level of conditioning. Once the pre-season performance cycle begins, the fitness program gradually “ramps up” allowing dancers the opportunity to become acclimated to the physical demands of performing. Researchers in the athletic training field say that a fitness program that includes progressive overload and periodization can help dancers avoid the risk of injury.

Cross-training is beneficial to dancers.

Exercise scientists recommend cross-training for dancers, a practice where they participate in a wide range of physical activities such as Yoga, Pilates, swimming, and running. These are fun activities which can give dancers the opportunity to strengthen muscle groupings beyond those used in dance. Athletic training experts say that cross-training has the positive benefit of not overworking a specific part of the body. It can also provide mental health benefits by improving a dancer’s mood and ability to concentrate on their artistry.

To learn more about degree offerings in the Athletic Training Education Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.