HAPPY TRAINING TIP TUESDAY!! Today we are talking about core strengthening!
Do you remember growing up and doing all those crazy crunches and not knowing what the heck they were or how they were helping you dance? Maybe you just remember waiting for this part of warm up to be over so you could stop pulling on your neck!
Sound familiar? Trust me, we’ve all been there!
Well, today I want to talk about core strength and a different kind of exercise to help engage our abs and increase our core strength.
Core strength helps us in all aspects of life. Core strengthening leads to core stability which is the ability to control one’s center while the body is moving. It’s the ability to hold the body steady and maintain balance while performing complex movements.
If a dancer’s core stability is poor, they may have difficulty maintaining good posture or dynamic alignment during small or large movements. So, as dancers, we need a strong core to help us achieve all the beautiful moves our hearts desire, but we also need a strong core for everyday life as well.
That’s why, today, We’re talking about knee hovers. Knee hovers are a great core strengthening exercise and (bonus!) help with stability as well.
We start this exercise on the floor, so grab a mat to help alleviate any wrist pain.
The Set up:
Get on all fours (hands and knees) and with your arms straight but not locked, push the heels of your hands into the floor so that your shoulder blades flatten against your back.
The Execution:
Keeping this neutral position with your spine and shoulder blades, tuck your toes under and lift your knees from the floor. Your knees should only rise around 1-2 inches off the ground. Careful not to let your booty lift!
I recommend doing 10 sets of 5-second holds.
What Now?
Want real time feedback on your form? Tag us @dancerswholift on Instagram or Tiktok!
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