Lean-Body Tips from Professional Dancers
All-star dancers reveal how they maintain their rock-hard bods
How do professional dancers keep those lean, mean physiques? Sure, they dance for a living (and burn off hundreds of calories while doing so), but they also work hard at maintaining their perfectly toned figures. We asked four all-star dancers to share their best fitness tips that you can use at home or at the gym, even if you have two left feet.
“I like to always remind my dancers about ways to avoid injury,” Gibson says. Dancers often succumb to lower-body injury because of long rehearsal hours. But with a few simple tips, her dancers (and you) can stay injury free.
“One of the basic ways to avoid injury is to always make sure to stretch and warm up your body. This will loosen up your muscles, which will help to avoid common strain injuries such as shin splints and ankle strains,” Gibson says.
Another tip for best results: Add variety to your workout routine. “I believe it’s extremely important to include some other type of fitness activity in your training, so cross training will help you to avoid injury when you are dancing,” she says. “I personally love to run outdoor fitness trails. I love the meditative value I get when out alone, challenging myself to run faster and higher.”
