Training Tip - dancing and Aging

Are you an older dancer who wants to keep dancing their whole life?

DANCING & AGING
"Older dancers may need to arrive early to classes and rehearsals to allow extra time to warm up with movements that gently raise the body temperature and heart rate, mobilize the joints and lengthen the muscles. With sufficient physical fitness, older dancers can meet the technical requirements of continued dancing. They can also ensure that they have the requisite core support and adequate joint stability and mobility to stave off injuries. Engaging in supplementary physical conditioning can improve cardiorespiratory stamina, flexibility and muscular strength and endurance... Age-related declines in stamina may necessitate changes to a dancer’s training regimen in order to avoid undue fatigue... With proper self-care, careful attention to dance training and practices and a focus on the benefits of aging, dancers have great potential to remain healthy and dance for longer." (Andrea Downie, 2016)

Learn more about dancing and aging in The Dance Current's article Freer and More Fragile by Andrea Downie.