Off work – now what?

Many dancers have blocks of time between performance seasons when they have no official training schedule. This can feel unsettling for some and freeing for others. Regardless of which group you fall into, your body and mind will thank you for maintaining an off-schedule routine when you return to studio/stage. Here are some tips to help you find your off-schedule groove.

Use the right equipment:

Injuries in dance happen more frequently with changes in flooring surfaces, changes in footwear and changes in physical demand.  Try to find clear floor space that is similar to your regular studio flooring and wear your regular footwear appropriate for that class/dance style.  A good trick is to use a yoga mat under wood or under a sheet of marley to add some cushion to a hard floor.

Variable training:

Respect that your muscle balance will change if you have been moving differently: Maybe you are sitting more, walking less, driving less, moving in smaller spaces? These changes in habitual movement will affect your muscle balance.  More sitting leads to shorter hip flexors and iliotibial bands, less walking leads to less fitness, less movement overall leads to “stiffer”, “shorter”, connective tissue.  Keep a dynamic warm up in your schedule.  Being a few steps away from your home studio might make it tempting to roll straight into class from the kitchen but those connective tissues need to warm up to avoid injury.  Think of chewing gum; you need that gum soft and pliable to blow good bubbles! Embrace stairs, forget the elevators and escalators, to maximize cardio challenges when the opportunity presents.

Mix it up: Training at home can end up in a rut with more limited access to variety of teachers and dance styles.  This is both mentally and physically fatiguing.  Your brain needs stimulation to stay energised and motivated.  Your body needs variety to challenge physical change and avoid overuse injuries. This is a great time to explore other dance styles and not be hindered by “experts in the room” or “looking silly” because, there is no one else in the room! You’ll find a variety of Pivot Dancer classes with a variety of instructors. We do this intentionally to give you new experiences and new challenges. Perhaps it’s Slam Dunk Trunk this week and Turn Lab next week!

Train on a schedule:

When you don’t have regular classes in your schedule it’s easier to delay or skip training.  It’s also easier to overdo it if you are self-training and don’t have a structured end to studio time.  Book your dance and strengthening into your daily schedule and stick to it!

Eat on a schedule:

When you are at home, grazing becomes easier and skipping meals becomes easier because you are always close to the kitchen for when you feel like grabbing a bite.  Try to keep yourself on a regular meal schedule in addition to a regular sleep, activity and work schedule. Keep some high protein snacks, like boiled eggs and yogurt, in your fridge so you have an easy option to reach for that will fuel your system in healthy ways.

Write down your week:

Know what you focused on in each class and write it down.  At the end of the day you’ll know what you did, at the end of the week you’ll know if you need to challenge yourself more in one area than another to maintain balanced training.  Finally at the end of the month you will have an excellent record of your goals and accomplishments. You can use your activity journals when you’re back in studio to better understand how your body incorporates training and how to best sturucture your volume throughout your work/training seasons.

Find the silver lining: 

Not having “normal” can be hard and finding the silver lining can be hard. What dancer ever backed away from hard? Now is your opportunity to improve in ways you never thought about before.  If you get stuck – we are here to help get you unstuck! We can’t wait to meet you.

The Pivot Dancer Team