spider crawls for rotator cuff health

Training Tip Tuesday: Banded Spider Crawls

While our shoulders are considered “ball and socket” joints, shoulders sacrifice stability for mobility. That’s why keeping the four muscles that make up your rotator cuff strong is so important. Enter: the banded spider crawl.

The banded spider craw is a little “pre-hab” exercise I love to throw into my warm-up any day I am doing upper body in the gym! 

While spider crawls for rotator cuff health are fairly common.  I call them banded spider crawls because – well I use a band- and I always sing the “Itsy-bitsy Spider” when I am doing them! Like I mentioned earlier, the spider crawl exercise strengthens the muscles in your shoulder, prepping them to stabilize lift. Keeping you safe while lifting overhead, crushing your load goals, or even when doing inversions in yoga or dance classes. 

All you need is a small looped resistance band (with light resistance) and a wall!  

 

 

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How to the Banded Spider Crawl

To perform the spider crawl, loop your small, light-weight, resistance band around your wrists and face a wall so your finger tips can touch it. 

Lift your arms up so they are even with your shoulders width wise and at the height of your belly button.

Now, engage your shoulders and lats. Keeping your shoulders down, slowly crawl your hands up the wall (yes, like a spider!). 

Keep the resistance on the band all the way up and all the way back down. Up and down like this is “one rep.” 

One set should be about 3 reps. 

For an optimal warm-up, perform 2-3 sets!

Want a visual? Check out this video!

How to banded spider crawl!

 

Did you like today’s blog? Here are a few other quick reads that you might like: Eight Ways to Promote Faster Recovery, 10 Exercises For Dancers That Will Transform Your Technique, Stay Alive For 25 (minutes!): Workouts For Dancers

 

plantar fasciitis

What Not to Do With Plantar Fasciitis: Expert Advice for Dancers

Plantar Fasciitis is a common overuse injury among dancers. And it’s no surprise as tight calf muscles, high arches, and unsupportive shoes are often the culprits of this type of foot pain. (I’m looking at you ballet flats.)  That’s why it’s so important to learn what not to do with plantar fasciitis; so you can get back on your feet and dancing in no time!

 

Don’t keep going–Take time to rest!

When discussing what not to do with plantar fasciitis, the most important thing you must learn is to take time to rest. 

Dancers are very good at working through pain. However, since plantar fasciitis tends to be an overuse injury, “working through the pain” will only make the injury worse. 

Observing a period of rest (no, not just one icing session, a couple hours 👀) and icing the foot within that period will get the inflammation under control enough to begin some PT. 

But if you keep dancing, that inflammation will only increase causing more pain and requiring a longer rest period to decrease that inflammation. 

 

 

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Don’t wear high heels; Don’t wear zero drop sneakers. 

Footwear is a big contributor to plantar fasciitis pain. So reconsidering what fashions you’re sporting is a big part of learning what not to do with plantar fasciitis.

High heels require a lot of your arches. And, because the inflamed tissues associated with plantar fasciitis run right through your arches, putting undue pressure on them is not ideal. So, while you’re recovering, opt for flats instead. 

Now this might be surprising, but due to the heel pressure associated with plantar fasciitis, zero drop shoes can actually exacerbate the pain experienced in the heel. 

The sweet spot for alleviating pain from plantar fasciitis is a slight elevations of the heel (3cm or less). This relieves the pressure on the heel without pushing that pressure elsewhere. 

 

Don’t stand or sit with your foot in same position for too long:

Standing for long periods of time keep your heel in what’s called “dorsiflexion” (a flexed foot). 

Take a look at this image:

plantar fasciitis

This is the position your foot is in when sitting or standing on your feet. You can see how keeping your feet in this position for long periods of time could trigger some pain in that inflamed tissue. 

Bottom line? Take breaks from standing and sitting with your feet in the same position. During these breaks take time to work through pointing and flexing your foot, working through your PT stretches, and icing. 

 

Don’t skip your stretches: 

If you rest without consciously taking time to do your stretches, you’re likely going to flare up again once you return to exercising at your normal level. These stretches help to create more ankle mobility and release the tight muscles in the underside of your foot. 

These exercises should become a staple in not only your PT but preparation for classes, rehearsals, and shows!

While painful, luckily plantar fasciitis can largely be managed with PT and rest, meaning you’ll be back out dancing like a fool in no time! 

 

Did you find any of these tips helpful? Give us a follow @dancerswholift on Instagram and give this interview with Coach Amber in Dance Magazine about Plantar Fasciitis.

 

The Endocannabinoid System: A Guest Post by Kaisha Cabrera

Cannabis is commonly known. But have you heard of our endogenous cannabinoid system? It’s called the ECS, short for endocannabinoid system, and it’s our body’s largest neuromodulator system.

It functions as our body’s balance, working to keep almost every physiological process in homeostasis. It’s comprised of endogenous cannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors , and enzymes.

Endocannabinoid deficiency is a clinical deficit in endocannabinoid system function. This leads to various diseases and issues.

These issues include chronic pain, dysfunctional immune system, fatigue, and mood imbalances. The most common related conditions to
endocannabinoid deficiency include migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and psychological disorders.

 

 

personal training for dancers

 

 

So, what exactly are cannabinoids?

First, there are three kinds of cannabinoids:

endogenous (inside body)

phyto-cannabinoids (produced by plants)

synthetic cannabinoids (made in the lab)

Endocannabinoids are lipid-based neurotransmitters naturally produced in the body. They help with functions such as sleep, memory, metabolism, appetite, learning, pain, and more.

The first endocannabinoids discovered (and the most studied!) include anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG).

There are quite a few more of these, all working together to create an entourage effect.

What is anandamide?

Ananda is the Sanskrit word for “happiness, pleasure, joy, and bliss”.  Which makes good sense, because Anandamide is known as our bliss molecule and it’s part of our brain’s reward system, along with 2-AG.

One particularly interesting thing about anandamide is its relationship to exercise.

Often it’s said that  “Runner’s High” or the feeling of euphoria after working out is due to endorphins. However, endorphins cannot pass the blood-brain barrier.

As a result, recent scientific data supports the possibility that it’s actually caused by anandamide being released.

Okay, so what’s 2-AG?

2-AG is neuroprotective and is important in regulating neural inflammation (think of neurological disorders like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease). Human breast milk contains 2-AG in high concentrations.

 

Tell me about the cannabinoid receptors…

The cannabinoid receptors are called CB1 and CB2. Think of these as locks and keys.

Cannabinoid receptors are largely found in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, immune cells, and gut, and they work to regulate hormone activity.

CB1 receptors are densely found in the central nervous system (CNS), while CB2 receptors are mainly associated with our immune system. Although both receptors can be found in other areas of the brain and body.

Where do we find Endocannabinoids?

A few of the main enzymes for the endocannabinoid system are FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase), COX-2, and MAGL (monoacylglycerol Lipase) which break down and degrade the endocannabinoids.

Now with some of the basics of the endocannabinoid system out of the way, how can you help balance
your ECS?

Balancing the endocannabinoid system is largely dependent on nutrition, stress management, and pain relief.

Because our endocannabinoids are lipid based, it’s important to work on your dietary fats, namely your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio and having anti-inflammatory fats as a regular part of your nutrition.

Omega-3 foods include:

  • Olives and Olive Oil
  • Nuts and seeds (hemp seeds, anyone?)
  • Fatty fish like sardines, salmon, and tuna
  •  Avocados and avocado oil

Additionally, you’ll want to focus on increasing your fiber intake and antioxidant-rich foods, as well as balancing your macronutrients.

There are dietary phyto-cannabinoids; some working by directly activating the CB1 and CB2 receptors, some inhibiting the FAAH enzyme to raise anandamide level, while some have the benefits of being antioxidants.

Nutrients in foods like cacao and dark chocolate work to inhibit the FAAH enzyme and contain anandamide. Other parts of foods helping inhibit FAAH are polyphenols like resveratrol. Wine, grape juice, peanuts, curcumin, and turmeric are great sources of polyphenols!

Stress management in all its forms can help balance the ECS. Because the ECS is in our skin.

Generally speaking, touch, like massages and osteopathic manipulative therapy, and fulfilling all our senses help the endocannabinoid system. This is due to the boost of oxytocin released.

Other ways to boost oxytocin include:

  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Exercise
  • Listening to music
  • Cuddling and hugging
  • Laughing

To help you get some ideas on how to incorporate hemp seeds into your diet, here are a couple recipes:

endocannabinoid system support recipes

endocannabinoid system support recipes

References:
Russo EB. Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in
Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes. Cannabis
Cannabinoid Res. 2016;1(1):154-165. Published 2016 Jul 1. doi:10.1089/can.2016.0009.

Desai S, Borg B, Cuttler C, et al. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Exercise on the
Endocannabinoid System. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2022;7(4):388-408. doi:10.1089/can.2021.0113.
Ross M, PhD. Vitamin Weed: A 4-Step Plan to Prevent and Reverse Endocannabinoid Deficiency.
Greenstone Books; 2018.

Alger BE. Getting high on the endocannabinoid system. Cerebrum. 2013;2013:14. Published 2013 Nov 1.
McPartland JM, Guy GW, Di Marzo V. Care and feeding of the endocannabinoid system: a systematic
review of potential clinical interventions that upregulate the endocannabinoid system. PLoS One.
2014;9(3):e89566. Published 2014 Mar 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089566

Leonard-Johnson, S, PhD, Rappaport, T, BFA, MFA. Cannabidiol (CBD) and the Endocannabinoid (ECS)
System Course. Biologix Solutions.

McPartland JM, Giuffrida A, King J, Skinner E, Scotter J, Musty RE. Cannabimimetic effects of osteopathic
manipulative treatment. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2005;105(6):283-291.

Wei D, Lee D, Cox CD, et al. Endocannabinoid signaling mediates oxytocin-driven social reward.Proc Natl
Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(45):14084-14089. doi:10.1073/pnas.150979511

quad workout, dancer workout, bodyweight workout

Oh My, Quad! A Quad Workout For Dancers

Healthy, strong quads equal strong, healthy knees! Having strong knees as a dancer is imperative, and that’s why we are dropping this quad workout today!

Strengthening your quads has shown to improve knee pain and prevent injury. And while leg day is a wholistic approach to strengthening the entire leg, today we decided to give the quads some extra love. 

I warn you, you might be walking funny or using the railing to use the stairs after this. But I promise you, it’ll be worth it. 

You ready to get started on this quad workout?

Let’s Go!

 

 

personal training for dancers

 

 

Oh My, Quad! A Quad Workout

The Set Up:

First things first, for this quad workout you’ll need a timer. If you have cranky knees, you may also want a yoga mat or cushion to put underneath your knees in a couple of these exercises. 

The name of the game is to keep moving every 30 seconds. 

Set the timer for 20 seconds, this will be your work time. Then, you’ll rest for the remaining ten seconds before moving on to the next exercise. 

You’ll do this non-stop for a total of 8 rounds. 

Think you can survive? 

The Exercises:

Kneeling pop-ups/stand-ups: 

Pick your poison for this one.  If you have problematic knees, opt for the stand-ups. 

You’ll start by kneeling on both of your knees with your hips over your knees. 

Then, using your arms for momentum, you’ll pop into a squat position and stand. 

Finally, return to kneeling position and repeat as many times as possible during your 2o second window. 

If you have crabby knees, instead of popping into a squat from kneeling, you’ll step one foot at a time into a low squat position before standing. 

Trust me, you feel the burn both ways!

**When your 20 seconds are up, rest for 10 seconds before moving on.**

Kneeling Hing:

Remember practicing hinges to the floor in Jazz class? This is sort of like that. 

From that same kneeling position, brace your core and ensure that your knees hips and shoulders are all in line. 

Then, reach your arms in front of you, shoulders down, and hinge from your knees as far backward as you can without breaking your form.

Squeeze your tush and engage your core to lift back up to the starting position. 

Talk about a quad workout, this exercise is killer.

Repeat as many reps as possible in your 20 second window. 

**When your 20 seconds are up, rest for 10 seconds before moving on.**

Half Side Plank With a Crunch:

For this exercise lay on your side like a mermaid with your knees stacked. 

Lift up your hips so you are in a half side plank supported by your forearm.

From here, crunch your top elbow and knee toward each other for as many reps as possible in 20 seconds. Don’t let those hips drop!

**When your 20 seconds are up, switch sides and perform for 20 more seconds. Then, rest for 10 seconds before moving on.**

Split Squat Jumps/Alternating Lunges:

Ah the last exercise in today’s quad workout! Well, as least for *this* round!

From a standing position, jump into the air and land in a split squat position (bent knee lunge). 

From the bottom of your lunge, jump up and switch legs in the air to land in the same lunge position but on the opposite side. 

If your knees aren’t up for this amount of impact, replace the split squat jumps with alternating lunges. 

To perform alternating lunges, simply step into a deep lunge then step your legs back together and repeat on the other side. 

For both exercises, repeat as many reps as possible within 20 seconds. 

**When your 20 seconds are up, rest for 10 seconds before restarting the entire circuit again.**

 

Help! I am having trouble picturing this!

Never fear, tune into this video to watch Coach Amber break down the form for each of these exercises!

Oh My, QUAD! I finished the quad workout!

How do you feel? Surprisingly spent for such a quick workout, right? 

If you stuck with your timer, you should’ve completed that workout in just 20 minutes!

Not bad!

 

Want more workouts like this, or training tips from our coaches? Here are some links that might interest you: Stay Alive For 25 (minutes!): Workouts For Dancers, Training Tip Tuesday: Kneeling Thoracic Extension Stretch, Dancers Who Lift: More Than Just Resistance Training for Dancers

 

Hip Flexor Stretch

Training Tip Tuesday: Hip Flexor Stretch

Let me tell you a little secret. Putting yourself into a lunge and simply pushing your hips forward is not going to be a deep enough hip flexor stretch for most dancers. 

That’s right, you’ve been stretching your hip flexor all wrong. 

Likely, if you’ve been stretching your hips this way, you’re not feeling a very deep stretch. This might lead you to believe that you’re flexible enough and don’t need to stretch it further. 

Wrong! Hip flexor stretches are incredibly important to dancers.

Why? Let’s talk about your Psoas muscle. 

The Psoas ( pronounced s0-as) is one of the muscles that makes up your hip flexors. But what makes the Psoas pso special (see what I did there?) is the fact that the psoas muscle attaches just above your tush, near your sacrum, and wraps up and over your hips into your groin. 

Because of this positioning, adequately stretching the Psoas muscle not only opens up your hips, but can relieve lower back pain and lead to major gains in your battement height. 

On top of all that, hip flexor stretches are excellent if you’re traveling or spending a lot of time sitting. Hello all you dancers on tour!

Stretching your hip flexors after maintaining the same position all day will do wonders for your back and hips!

 

 

personal training for dancers

 

 

Okay, so what’s a better hip flexor stretch?

I’m so glad you asked!

First you’re going to get into a kneeling position. (If you have cranky knees, place a cushion or pillow underneath your knee.)

Next you’re going to lengthen your spine and make sure you aren’t hyper extending your ribcage by exhaling and engaging your core. 

Then, tuck your pelvis forward.

Feel that stretch? Amazing, let’s kick it up a notch.

Release your tuck and breathe in. On your next exhale, tuck your pelvis forward and tuck your chin to your chest. 

WHOOOOOOEEEEE!!! Do you feel that?

Perform a few reps of tucking on the exhale and releasing on the inhale. After 6-10 reps, switch sides. 

I promise your hips and back will thank you  and your kicks will be sky high!

Want a visual? Check out this video from Coach Kiersten to follow along!

 

Did you like this Training Tip? You might also like these quick reads: Training Tip Tuesday: Mixed Grip Deadlift, The Early Morning Workout, A Dancer’s Guide to the Best Supplements for Muscle Recovery

best supplements for muscle recovery

A Dancer’s Guide to the Best Supplements for Muscle Recovery

Hey there, Dancer. Before we deep dive into the best supplements for muscle recovery, I want you to imagine this: 

You’ve just woken up and reaching for your phone to silence the alarm is enough to let you know that last night’s spotlight class has left you *incredibly sore.* 

You get up and take a hot shower, drink some water, have a protein shake, pack your dance bag, and limp your way to your audition. You might even gripe a bit about how you did everything you could to help your muscles recover but alas, here you are: 

Sore, tired, and wishing you didn’t have to whack your face at 10 A.M. 

Now imagine you’re scrolling on Instagram after tell your friend how sore you are and you see and ad, “The best supplements for muscle recovery!” 

The ad pitches you on a few powders and a couple pills that are packed with antioxidants that will leave you more energized and will extend the benefits of your workouts! A great kickstart to your day! Some users have even seen a drop in weight!

And what’s even better? They’re on sale! 20% off a three month supply!

Tempting, right?

Well, before you click the “purchase” button on that ad, why don’t you keep reading. 

Because what if I told you there were supplements you could add into your diet that could help your muscles recover? 

No they aren’t miracle pills and powders. But they are scientifically proven to help with protein synthesis, muscle accretion, inflammation, and beyond. 

You see, here at Dancers Who Lift, we emphasize the importance of establishing a consistent, nutritious diet before adding in supplements. We encourage our dance athletes to get as many of their nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins through whole foods first, then supplement where needed. 

But the reality is, there are certain supplements that can have a massive impact on your training, and those are what we are going to discuss today!

But before we reveal the best supplements for muscle recovery, let’s define what a supplement is. 

For the purposes of what we are discussing today, a supplement is anything you consume to support your daily nutritional needs that is not “real food.” 

For example, protein powder. Yes, you are mixing it into a shake with real foods, but the powder itself is a supplement. 

Even Vitamin C or your morning daily vitamin are supplements because they supplement your diet to help your body perform at it’s best.

Got it?

Let’s dive in.

 

 

personal training for dancers

 

 

  • Protein

You might have chuckled when I mentioned protein powder earlier because it is such a common supplement it almost feels normal. After all, you can consume enough protein in a day to forgo the need for a protein shake. 

But when you are trying to be as consistent as possible about hitting your protein goals, a protein supplement like a whey powder or premixed shake can be hugely helpful.

The protein needs of dancers are demanding and learning how to eat enough protein daily can require a bit of a learning curve. 

 Help yourself out with a protein powder than can be eaten at any time of day and get you closer to reaching your protein goals!

 

  • Creatine Monohydrate

For a long time people thought that creatine was only for the bros and the body builders. 

But the truth is, creatine is insanely beneficial to all types of athletes. And is definitely one of the best supplements for muscle recovery.

What’s more, creatine is the most extensively studied supplement on the market and scientists have found no adverse affects to using creatine daily. In fact, they’ve only found benefits!

Creatine has been shown to increase muscle accretion, support muscle recovery, hyper-hydrate on an intracellular level, AND it’s been shown to increase brain cognition in female athletes!

And while Creatine Monohydrate is found in protein rich meats and fish like pork, beef, and salmon you’d have to eat pounds of those foods to gain enough creatine to reep the benefits. 

That’s why we recommend a high quality creatine monohydrate supplement for our dancers. 

Because who doesn’t want increased muscle growth and faster muscle recovery?

 

  • Fiber Rich Foods & Why you might want to rethink your supplement. 

Okay, Okay, you caught me. Fiber rich foods are not a supplement. They are in fact a food! But they are incredibly important. These foods give your body the antioxidants and support it needs to function efficiently and healthily.

Now,  you might be thinking, “but what if I take a greens powder?” 

We will do a deep dive into greens powders another day. But for today let’s talk about this from a nutritional standpoint. 

If you are consistently eating high amounts of vegetables and leafy greens, you likely don’t need an antioxidant/greens powder supplement. 

In fact, studies have shown that over doing it in the area of antioxidanct supplements (like high-dose vitamin c and e supplements) can actually inhibit muscle growth and recovery. 

That same study suggested that consuming these antioxidants via whole foods in our diet is much much more beneficial. 

So, is it a supplement? No. But most people are not eating enough fiber rich foods and vegetables, so I’m going to say, supplement your diet by adding these foods!

(However, if veggies and greens totally give you the ick. Talk to your coach or health professional about whether or not a greens supplement could be beneficial for you.)

 

  • BCAAs – But not how you think!

BCAAs are one of the first supplements to populate when you google “best supplements for muscle recovery.”

And it’s true, BCAAs do support muscle recovery. However, most athletes eating a well rounded nutrient rich diet don’t need a BCAA supplement. This is because BCAAs are found in most protein dense foods (yes, including the vegan/vegetarian ones). 

So you might be asking, why do people take a supplement if they are getting them from their food?

What BCAAs do well is decrease the amount of serotonin released during a workout which means you can workout harder and longer. 

But if you don’t pair your BCAAs with whey protein, athletes generally see a decrease in muscle protein synthesis a.k.a. muscle growth. 

You can read all about the pros and cons of BCAAs here

But bottom line? If you’re working hard to build muscle, maybe opt for a different pre-workout energy source like and apple or cup of coffee. 

But if you’re finding yourself struggling with stamina and recovery despite eating a balanced diet, it’s okay to give BCAAs a try for a season.

 

Let’s Recap:

I know that might seem like a short list, but truly, the best supplements for muscle recovery come from fueling your body with a well balanced, nutrient dense diet. 

Does this mean that all supplements other than this list are bad? Absolutely not. 

But it does mean that you should be wary about people trying to pitch you health supplements you might not need. 

The National Institute of Health actually has a great list of popular supplements and their efficacy listed here. 

Next time you’re being pitched the hottest new thing, go take a look. What do the experts have to say?

But until then, Dancers Who Lift is here to cut out the noise and tell you the cold hard facts. 

So, let us know if you add creatine to your diet! Let us know if a greens powder has saved your life since you abhor salads! We want to cheer you on in whatever goal you’re striving for. 

You’ve got this!