Recovery for Dancers

Dr. Chelsea Moehlenbrock Author

It’s Nutcracker season! This is a fun tradition that always helps spark the holiday spirit. There’s always a lot of hard work that goes into putting together The Nutcracker though: many hours of rehearsals and typically multiple performances.

With this crazy busy time of the season, what are some ways that dancers can help themselves get through it successfully and safely? Dancers’ bodies definitely need some rest and recovery dispersed throughout the season, but it is particularly crucial during extended performance seasons. 

Recovery is the body’s ability to return to its baseline after undergoing sustained exertion or stress. There are many ways to help your body recover more quickly. However, sometimes it is best to make sure you have a solid foundation in the basics.

1. Nutrition and Hydration

Nutrition and hydration are definitely the most important elements to keeping an artistic athlete at peak performance. They are the building blocks for our tissues to build and repair after strenuous activity. If you are having trouble figuring out the right nutrition for your body, there are numerous dieticians and nutritionists. There are some that even specialize in working with dancers. Check out this blog to get you started.

2. Passive Recovery

Passive recovery includes sleep and any activities that are not physically demanding, such as reading, watching a movie, or socializing with friends. This type of recovery gives the body some space to repair any damaged tissue, build new tissue, and allows for a mental break. Passive recovery, like nutrition and hydration, are necessary for staying healthy during the busy season. It’s important to keep these things in your schedule and not let them get pushed aside.

3. Active Recovery

Active recovery is low intensity physical activities, such as walking or yoga. These are helpful in increasing blood flow to those tissues that are needing to recover from extended stress. This helps flush out any metabolic waste products from the tissues too.

4. Bodywork

Bodywork includes any type of manual therapies or gentle movements that assist in reducing tension in the strained tissues. This can include massage, myofascial release, or mobility exercises. These types of things can definitely help in the body’s recovery, but it won’t have as much of an impact if nutrition, hydration, and sleep are inadequate.

5. Supplemental Treatments

Lastly, supplemental treatments include any of the extra things that artistic athletes might include in their recovery program. Not all of these are effective according to research, but placebo can be pretty powerful. These include compression garments, cryotherapy, contrast water therapy, or foam rolling. If you find these things beneficial, there’s no harm in using them. However, don’t forget to prioritize the basics of nutrition, hydration, and sleep.