Slowly but surely, it’s finally happening. While the dance industry tragically still has a question mark hovering above its future, most of us are at least able to get back into the studio and get working again. That’s certainly something to celebrate, and the positive note I want to focus on. However, as I’m coming off of a very long break where activity like I’m used to was virtually impossible, I’m finding that my body is having a hard time adjusting, no matter how happy it is to be moving again. If you’re returning from a quarantine break, I’m sure you’re in the same boat. The dance world collectively feels like Bambi on ice, with injuries peeking around every corner.
Self-care to keep our bodies strong as we work back up to our peaks is absolutely essential, so I decided to put together a list of nineteen of my most tried-and-true self care tips to share with you as we very cautiously come out of our COVID-19 quarantine. These tips are not only applicable now, but can always be applied, no matter when it is- whether you’re coming off of an extended break or at your busiest time.
My explanations made this list quite lengthy, so I split it into two parts. So, for now, I present you with ten self care tips for a healthy body. My nine healthy mind and skincare tips will be here soon!
Tip #1: Hot Baths:
All of the fancy tools and insider secrets can never beat the simple magic of a hot bath. No matter how my body feels, I religiously take a bath every other day (I would take them every day, but I have to shower sometime…). For the most effective result, my recommendation is to hop in as soon as possible after returning home from your last physical activity of the day. Add in Epsom salts for an extra-healing bath- brands like Dr. Teal’s sell all sorts of variations with different benefits and scents, but the plain, generic kind still gives you a wonderful dose of essential magnesium- sometimes better than that of the fancy blends. And for an additional boost, add in a few drops of peppermint essential oil to further aid in muscle loosening and relief. If you don’t have the oil on hand, a personal favorite trick of mine is to cut open a fresh bag of peppermint tea and pour the leaves in the bath- it works just as well, and is gentler on your skin!
Tip #2 Tiger Balm:
Tiger Balm is my personal favorite topical remedy. It works more effectively than anything I’ve ever used before, actually loosening muscles instead of just masking pain. The primary ingredient is menthol, which aids in relieving inflammation. Tiger Balm is my go-to for achy spots and knots in my muscles- so much so that I sometimes even put it on preemptively. I recommend stocking up on it and slathering this magic balm on your arising maladies like it’s your job.
Tip #3: Icing:
Icing is old news when it comes to injuries, but it can work wonders for feet plagued with after-class aches. While it’s bracing at first, soaking your feet in a bucket of cold water with a couple handfuls of ice cubes thrown in works wonders after a long tap or pointe class (or any class in which you’re on your feet a lot, for that matter…which is all of them). I’ve gotten to a point where my feet seem to crave to be iced some nights.
Tip #4: Elevating:
This is probably the easiest tip on this list. Elevating your feet helps drain lactic acid from your legs, reduces swelling, and improves circulation. It’s a wonderful preventative for injuries, and a great way to speed up healing time if you have one. Plus, it takes away the heavy feeling of your muscles turning to stone that comes when you’re tired, leaving your legs feeling light. That’s why elevating is a great thing to do if you have a break between classes and rehearsals to give yourself an extra boost. However, my personal favorite elevating routine comes at the end of the night, when I’m splayed out in bed, on my phone or watching TV. All I have to do is prop my legs up on the wall somewhere between a forty-five and ninety degree angle and keep them there for 10-20 minutes, or until my feet start to fall asleep. Viola!
Tip #5: Rolling/Self Massage:
Rolling out is old news in ballet communities, but I find that it’s not quite so common in the rest of the dance community, especially at a student level. Rolling out does wonders for sore muscles, and loosens tension for optimal range of motion even if your muscles aren’t fatigued. There are a million different rolling tools on the market, but keeping it simple is just as effective as anything else. A basic foam roller comes cheap- I definitely recommend getting one. I like handheld stick rollers, too, but to be completely honest with you, the rolling pin from your kitchen would get the job done just as well. Tennis balls are my favorite for my calves, feet, hips, and around my shoulders, but any smaller ball that you can find around your house works the same.
I’ve found that rolling out is most effective right after a hot bath- your muscles are already loose, and rolling out helps them to stay that way. (But rolling is also great to prepare your muscles for a class or rehearsal, especially if you have some sort of minor injury or pain that’s bugging you.) Go for it intuitively or look up a rolling video on YouTube- it all helps! I like to go from my neck and work downwards, ending with my feet.
If you don’t have any rolling tools on hand, self-massage is a good alternative, and one you can do whilst lazing in bed. Take a few minutes to work down your body, identifying tight spots and working them out by rubbing small circles with as much pressure as you feel you need. Bonus if you have someone around that can and will do it for you!
Tip #6: Chiropractic Work:
Mentioning a chiropractor around dancers can split the room. Some swear by their chiropractors, and some are a little afraid of trying it out. I’m the former. My body is at its absolute peak right now due to regular chiropractic appointments. I know that a very small number of people have had bad experiences with chiropractors, but in the days of internet reviews, it’s extremely easy to do your research and know exactly what you’re getting. If your body feels super out of whack in the midst of all this new activity (or even if it doesn’t), find a reputable chiropractic office in your area and make an appointment. Oftentimes when doing new movement, coming off of a break, of being overworked, your body slips out of alignment in one way or another. Even if you can’t feel it (my back is always a mess when I go for an adjustment, but it usually feels just fine), the misalignment can put extra stress on certain parts of your body and result in an injury. I recommend regular chiropractic visits to everyone at all times, but I especially recommend it now!
Tip #7: Don’t Neglect Outside Training:
One of the most important things for us right now is stretching to keep our bodies elastic as we’re plagued with some of the worst soreness any one of us has experienced in a long while. Find a way to work it into your schedule- whether it be between classes, before you go to bed, or right after breakfast; fifteen minutes or an hour and a half; a full-body service or just focusing on your problem areas. Don’t just rely on what you get in class- be personally proactive and reap the rewards. If you do so, chances are, you may even find yourself more flexible than you were before quarantine.
On that same note, if you’ve been recently involved in physical therapy and given exercises, keep them up. Injuries are going to crop up now more than ever, and it’s essential that you keep problem spots strong. For example, I have a natural difficulty in engaging the muscles in my upper back, and therefore all of the work goes into my shoulders and neck, resulting in massive tension and strains- the kind where you can’t move your head at all. I’ve been given physical therapy exercises to activate the proper muscles between my shoulder blades, which puts my normal dance work in the right spot and relieves the tension. Even if you haven’t ever visited with a PT, do some research on your own if you find yourself having problems- if your hips or knees hurt, look up glute exercises to do; if your ankles are giving you grief, find ways to put the work back in your calves; so on and so forth. Doing so will help now and in the long run.
Tip #8: Nutrition is Key:
I know, I know, you hear this all the time. But that’s because proper nutrition is so freaking essential, especially now, and is often neglected by student dancers with baby metabolisms that don’t see immediate effects from their food, and therefore don’t really think too much about it. I know that the busier you are the less you want to cook, and some of you don’t have access to a kitchen, and instead are at the mercy of whatever your family eats. Just try to make the best choices with what you have. I’m not going to try to preach this diet or that diet, because everyone’s body requires different things, and everybody has different things that work for them. My blanket recommendations would be to cut back on or cut out processed items (chips, artificially flavored protein bars, fruit snacks, frozen snacks like Hot Pockets or Pizza Rolls, etc.), and add in as many natural fruits and vegetables as you can.
I’ve seen a lot of people crash-diet during this time to lose the “COVID-19 pounds”. Don’t. If you do that, you are asking for an injury to happen. On the contrary, another one of my most tried-and-true recommendations is to carb-load. Make carbs a priority in your diet, as they give you a ton of long-lasting energy and aid in muscle repair. Plus, they keep you full- if you eat carbs before your dance night, your stomach doesn’t start growling an hour into class. Fats are also important, too! I’ve found I function optimally and have the best stamina when I eat fats in the morning (oat-based granola, yogurt, peanut butter), and some sort of (gluten-free) pasta, rice, or noodle dish right before I go to dance in the afternoon. But of course, you have to find what works best for you!
Tip #9: Collagen:
I have a couple of minor injuries that tend to crop up whenever I come back to activity after a long time off or overwork myself: a strain in my right psoas and a recurring pulled muscle in my lower back. Since I started taking daily collagen, I haven’t had issues with either. *Knocks on wood.* Collagen has a list of health benefits too long to name- seriously, look it up- but one of the top effects is improving muscle and joint health. I highly, highly recommend finding a collagen powder online or in stores (I prefer marine based), and incorporating it into your daily diet. Collagen has a smell but no taste- there are many different ways to get it in. In the past, I’ve mixed it into power balls and shaken it up into juices. However, my favorite way is to dissolve it in the first cup of tea I have in a day, whether that be in the morning or right before bed. That simple scoop of powder into a mug has done wonders for me on so many levels, and I’m sure it will for you, too.
Tip #10: Pace Yourself:
This is one of the easiest said yet hardest executed things on this list. As we all return from extended periods of activity that has been reduced in some way or another, going straight from zero to one hundred is the surest way to give yourself an injury that removes you from activity yet again. It is absolutely essential to pace yourself. Work smarter instead of harder- give your all at everything you do, but pick and choose what that is. For example, in your ballet class, maybe just do the warmup jump and petite allegro and stop before you get to big jumps, adding on one more exercise every class. Instead of going straight back into three classes a day, maybe just try one, and add on each week.
These solutions might not be possible if you’re a student at the mercy of regular teachers and a structured program- I understand that. But there are still things you can do to pace yourself. Maybe give your cross-training program a rest your first couple of weeks back. Maybe cut back on the extra time you spend in the studio outside of class- just at first. I understand the desire to work as hard as possible now that we’re filled with motivation from time away, but now is absolutely not the time to overwork ourselves. The key is to build back up to peak activity slowly, adding in new things as our bodies adjust to moving again.
I hope you enjoyed this, and that you plan to apply some of these tips. Please stay tuned for Part 2! In the meantime, drop a comment down below and pass this list along to your friends!
