Health, Dancers Who Lift

Probiotics and Fiber: Your Gut’s Best Friends

As dancers who cross train by lifting weights, we take nutrition very seriously. That’s why, today, we are talking bout the importance of probiotics and fiber.

There are a few bases to cover here, so let’s just dive right in, shall we?

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are microorganisms that have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. These microorganisms are what we call “good bacteria” and they aide in food digestion, attacking disease-causing cells, and producing vitamins.

The most common sources of probiotics are yogurt, cultured buttermilk, and cheese.

However, there are a lot of foods that have probiotics due to fermentation like, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, pickles, and raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

Probiotics are particularly helpful in solving tummy troubles like IBS or digestion struggles due to travel. (Looking at you all my tour bugs!)

What is Fiber?

Fiber is the roughage of plant foods that our body isn’t able to digest or absorb. Because fiber isn’t digested, it passes (pretty much intact) through your small intestine and colon. That’s why it’s so important to chew our food thoroughly!

There are two kinds of fiber, soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is dissolves in water and makes a kind of gel. This kind of fiber helps with cholesterol and glucose levels. It’s found in oats, peas, beans, aple, citrus fruits, and barley.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and therefore promotes the movement of “stuff” through your digestive system. This kind of fiber is beneficial if you’re experiencing constipation or irregular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber is found in whole-wheat flour, bran, nuts, beans, and veggies!

The recommended daily intake of fiber is between 20-30 grams of fiber per day. Reaching this goal definitely takes practice, but by adding an extra scoop of veggies to your plate, opting for whole wheat, or using fruit as a snack can easily boost your fiber intake!

What Are The benefits of Probiotics and Fiber?

As mentioned earlier, probiotics and fiber work together to regulate our digestive system, and promote healthy bacteria growth that boosts our immune system protecting us from infectious diseases.

In fact, the combination of dietary fiber and probiotics increases the health of the gut microbiome so much that it’s used a means of cancer prevention and treatment!

The really fun bonus is that this study found that the combination of probiotics and dietary fiber induced significant weight loss!

I’m Sold. How Do I Add Probiotics and Fiber into My Diet?

As mentioned before, you can do this by being intentional about including the amounts fibrous and probiotic foods.

Now, increasing your fiber intake is fairly simple. It just requires a bit of intentionality, such as swapping out your white bread for whole grain or adding extra fruits and veggies to each of your meals.

Because probiotic foods are bit more specific, some people prefer to take a supplement in the morning in addition to adding probiotic foods into their diets.

But if supplements aren’t for you, try adding in more yogurts, use apple cider vinegar in your salad dressings, or enjoy a lovely cheese plate!

At the end of the day, getting plenty of probiotics and fiber only requires a tiny bit on intentionality when you’re planning your meals.

Want some tips on intentional meal planning? Our Body Mechanics program actually comes with monthly meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to ensure you’re getting everything you need!

Not ready to join the family on that level? That’s okay! Here are a few other blog posts we think you might love: Should dancers drink daily greens?, Lucky Number Seven: A Full-Body Workout Routine, Honor Your Limites: 7 Types of Boundaries and How to Set Them

Are You In Tune With Your Body?: A Guide to Menstrual Cycle Energy Levels

Cycle syncing has become a hot topic lately, and for good reason. Understanding your cycle is beneficial for anyone. The ebb and flow of menstrual cycle energy levels can effect much more than your sunny disposition.

Understanding your cycle as an elite athlete (which dancers are btw) is even more important.

That’s why, we are kicking off this cycle syncing series by walking you through the rise and fall of menstrual cycle energy levels.

That’s right, where you are in your cycle will likely have an effect not only on your mood, but your energy levels. This is due to the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone as your body prepares for pregnancy and then sheds it’s preparation if you don’t become pregnant.

Understanding that your cycle will influence your energy levels can help you be strategic about when you go up in weight during certain exercises.

It can help you determine when your body is up for adding in that extra dance class.

And it can help you be more gracious with yourself on those days when you just can’t seem to wake up.

Let’s Talk Through Your Cycle

Your menstrual cycle is simply divided into two phases:

The Follicular Phase:

The follicular phase starts on day one of your period and ends once you begin ovulating.

The Luteal Phase:

The luteal phase occurs post ovulation and ends when your cycle starts over again and you get your period.

However, within your cycle there are four hormonal shifts:

The early-follicular phase

The late-follicular phase

The ovulatory phase

The luteal phase

Now that we know each phase, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what happens during each of them.

Menstrual Cycle Energy Levels and their Phases

Now, obviously the degree to which these hormonal fluctuations affect us will vary person to person. However, there are some constants worth noting.

The early-follicular phase: (week one)

I don’t know about you, but the first day of my period is always the worst.

You see, day one of your menstrual cycle (otherwise known as day one of your period) is marked by both low levels of estrogen and progesterone. This dip in hormones will likely have you feeling a bit sluggish.

However, as the week goes on, these hormone levels will start to rise and you might actually find yourself feeling more energized than the week before.

The late-follicular phase: (week two)

Week two of your cycle your estrogen levels will rise, while progesterone stays fairly low.

This rise in estrogen often leads to increased mood and productivity.

This time in your cycle is the perfect time to increase the weights in your workouts. It’s a great time to pad your schedule if needed.

Some women even plan important dates like vacations or travel to sync up with this portion of their cycle!

The Ovulatory Phase, and its drop into the Luteal: (week three)

When discussing menstrual cycle energy levels, it’s important to note that week three can be pretty wild.

Week three of a 28 day menstrual cycle is when *most* women experience ovulation.

Estrogen levels peak on the day of ovulation yielding high energy and (generally) more outgoing and social moods!

However, as soon as ovulation ends, estrogen levels will begin to drop.

This drop in estrogen is followed by a rise in progesterone and is often accompanied by a dip in energy levels. (The beginning of your luteal phase).

Exercise can help moderate this menstrual cycle energy level swing.

However, this week it’s important to be especially mindful when you exercise for two reasons:

First, you will likely be pushing yourself due to higher energy at the top of the week and increasing workout intensity the week prior.

Second, studies have shown that women are more likely to sustain an injury during ovulation due to the swift hormonal fluctuations. Don’t push it if you’re feeling like you’ve hit your max- even if that means you aren’t lifting what you did last week.

The Luteal Phase: (week 3.5 and four)

Between ovulation and your next period is your luteal phase. For each woman this “week” varies in length.

In the first portion of the luteal phase estrogen levels lower after reaching their peak at ovulation. As they drop progesterone levels rise.

Studies have shown that many women experience feeling a bit lower energy during this phase of their cycle.

The final portion of the luteal phase has estrogen levels remaining low and progesterone leves (if not pregnant) also dropping to an all time low. This drop leads to a period and thus the cycle starts all over again

This dip in both progesterone and estrogen yields low energy and mood for many women.

During your luteal phase it can be helpful to increase the activities in your life that refill you.

Take relaxing walks, increase your self-care and recovery methods, give yourself the space you need to recharge.

Recapping the Science and What it Means for You

Learning about your cycle and its varying energy levels can seem a bit overwhelming.

After all, everyone’s body is different and you might not feel like you experience the menstrual cycle energey levels outlined above. (And that’s totally OKAY!)

What I can say is that tracking your own cycle and taking note of your moods, energy levels, headaches, anxieties, etc can help you optimize your workouts and training.

If you know that you have a ton of energy after your period and leading up to ovulation, what a gift!

You can take advantage of that energy and use to push you to the next level in your workouts, dance training, and social life.

If you know you’re headed into your luteal phase and might feel a bit more sluggish and unmotivated you can plan your week around that.

For example:

Maybe you have a week full of auditions but you know you usually feel a bit down right before your period. Care for yourself by planning relaxing evenings at home to refresh and recharge.

When you’re armed with information about your own menstrual cycle energy levels, you can tailor your life to fit you like a custom built costume piece!

Want to learn more about your cycle and how to use it to your advantage? Follow along on the Dancers Who Lift blog for our monthly cycle syncing series!

Don’t want to wait that long? Here are some blogs we think you’ll love that are ready to read right now: Overcoming Plateaus and Setbacks, 7 Epic At Home Core Exercises (That Aren’t Crunches!), In and Out Fully Body Workout For Dancers

The Run Walk Method: An Ever-Evolving Workout

A lot of dancers believe the age old myth that running isn’t good for them. However, science shows that running actually has a lot of benefits for dancers. This leaves a lot of dancers beginning their running journey late in life. Enter, the run walk method.

The run walk method was started by former olympian, Jeff Galloway in the early 70s. He was teaching a class to beginner runners and realized that he needed to create a method that would allow these athletes to increase their cardio stamina, protect them from injury, and aide them in quicker recovery between runs. So, he introduced the run walk method.

What is the Run Walk Method?

The run walk method is a form of interval training in which runners take timed intervals of walking breaks throughout their run.

Now, I know dancers.

I know that we like to say “Eh, I don’t need a break” and keep pushing to prove we are as athletically strong as any other athlete. However, science shows that utilizing the run walk method does not reduce the load on the cardiovascular system, but it does reduce muscle discomfort and fatigue. This allows non-elite runners to finish their runs with similar times with less discomfort.

That’s right. Using the run walk method might not even impact your run time by much and it’s easier on your joints and muscles, meaning a faster recovery time.

So, How Do I Do the Run Walk Method?

Where you start with the run walk method will largely depend on the individual.

To determine your intervals you have three choices: time, heart-rate, distance.

For people new to running, we recommend using time because of it’s simplicity.

For example, run for one minute, walk for four and continue until you complete your run.

If you prefer the heart-rate method you’d run until your heart rate reaches 80% capacity (or until you barely start huffing and puffing) then walk until your hear rate reaches 60% capacity (breathing heavy but easily).

It’s important in either of these methods that you don’t push your pace too fast too soon. It’s tempting, but ultimately will negate the benefits of a quick recovery.

Patience is the key here.

Today’s Workout:

For today’s workout we are going to use time to determine our intervals as that’s the easiest benchmark to track and it is adjustable.

First, choose either a distance you’d like to run today or and interval of time for which you’d like to run.

Have you made your choice?

Next, use an interval timer on your phone to set these intervals:

Run one minute, walk for four.

If this interval is too easy, feel free to either shorten the walk time or lengthen the run time. You can even do both!

(Though we recommend starting with small adjustments!)

Once you’ve completed your run, check in with yourself. How do you feel? Was running that distance easier than usual?

If you ran for time, did you run farther than usual?

Tomorrow, be mindful of how your body feels. Chances are you’ll notice less muscle fatigue than you’re used to after a day of running!

The Best Part

The best thing about the run walk method is that each time you run you can progress by lengthening the amount of time you run before you take your walking interval. Jeffrey Galloway says this is his clients’ favorite aspect of utilizing this method of training – seeing their progress week to week as their muscles and joints get stronger.

So what do you think? Will you try this method on your next run? If you do, let us know how you felt! Were you able to run farther than usual! We’d love to celebrate a break through in your fitness goals!

Want more workouts? Check out the blog every Wednesday!

Until then, here are a few resources we think you’ll enjoy: The Stair Down: An Adjustable Stair Workout, Should Dancers Run? The Surprising Health Benefits of Running, Explained, Eight Ways to Promote Faster Recovery

Common dance injuries of the foot and ankle

Putting Your Best Foot Forward?: A Deep Dive Into Common Dance Injuries in the Foot and Ankle

If you’re a dancer, odds are you’re well aware of the many common dance injuries that may befall you during your career.

Maybe you experienced them first hand or maybe you witnessed a peer struggle through recovery from one.

Either way, you know about them because….well, because common dance injuries are exactly that, common.

There is a a long standing stigma in the dance world about injuries that seems to imply fault, weakness, or replaceability if you sustain an injury.

But most common dance injuries arise due to overuse and overtraining. In an industry that applauds “toughness” and a “push-through-it” mentality, it seems downright silly that injuries would be viewed this way.

Nevertheless, they are.

My friend once performed so long and so hard that she bled through her pointe shoes. There was actual blood stainds seeping through her toe box. When she finished everyone cheered, remarking how strong she was to finish the number despite her pain!

When my other friend sprained her ankle by landing a jump incorrectly in petite allegro, we were given a lecture on the importance of good technique, attention to detail, and ankle strengthening exercises. As if this injury was the fault of the dancer rather than a result of exhaustion from a 6 hour rehearsal day after a 5 class week.

The point is, we are here to de-stigmatize common dance injuries and offer some insight into the prevention and treatment of each. However, seeing a trusted physical therapist is recommended for aide in diagnosis and recovery from any common dance injury.

Plantar Fasciitis:

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common dance injuries. Planter Fasciitis is an overuse injury that causes intense pain in the heel.

We have talked a lot about plantar fasciits recently because it plagues so many dancers that Dance Magazine wrote about it and Coach Amber was featured giving advice for P.F. sufferers!

The main way to prevent plantar fasciitis is to practice regular foot stretches, strengthening exercises, and rolling out/massaging the feet. Some of the best preventative exercises are also the treatment for plantar fasciitis! You can check them out here: 9 Need to Know Plantar Fasciitis Exercises for Dancers

If you are currently suffering from plantar fasciitis there are a number of things you should avoid doing to prevent your injury from worsening.

Avoid wearing high heels, yes, even in class. I promise, your instructors and choreographers will gladly let you take a heels break for a week or two if it means getting you back in them long term!

Another important thing is to not push through the pain. I know as dancers there’s this mindset that, if we sit out someone will replace us. But that’s not always true. And even if it is, pushing through pain and causing your injury to worsen is not worth this one class, audition, or gig.

Don’t limit your future because you’re afraid of losing what you have now.

Achilles Tendonitis:

Achilles tendonitis is another common dance injury caused by overuse! This overuse injury affects the achilles tendon which attaches your calf muscle to your heel.

This is most often caused by overtraining during a focused amount of time. This can look like returning to dance after a long rest period, tight or inflexible caves, or dancing on a non-sprung floor.

Usually you can identify achilles tendonitis from other common dance injuries by a tenderness in the morning about half an inch above the heel bone, stiffness that fades after warm up, or mild-moderate pain after dancing.

If left unchecked achilles tendonitis can worsen and eventually lead to an achilles rupture.

So, the sooner you can start an at home regimen to relieve you of your A.T. pain, the better.

If your tendonitis has progressed to the point that you don’t have any pain free activities, rest and ice the tendon/lower calf immediately.

Active stretching of the achilles tendon should be integrated into your routine, but be careful! Don’t stretch your achilles beyond the point of comfort as this can make the tendonitis worse. Keep the stretch within the 2-3 range on the pain/discomfort scale.

Stress Fractures:

The human foot is comprised of 33 joints and 26 bones. These joints and bones work together to not only move your foot but help your feet and ankles absorb impact from jumps and leaps!

If the intrinsic muscles in between those joints and bones are overworked or not strong enough, the repetitive force of jumping can cause stress fractures.

Stress fracture pain might start out mildly and increase in pain as time goes on. You might also see some swelling around the area, even if rest brings relief from the pain.

See a doctor if you suspect a stress fracture because if a fracture heals improperly it can cause more permanent problems.

Otherwise, eating a well balanced, nutrient dense diet is one of the best ways to prevent a stress fracture. Not sure what that looks like? Give this article a read.

Also, pairing your high impact sport (dance) with low impact cross-training like weightlifting or reformer pilates reduces your risk of stress fractures.

Bunions:

Many people think that bunions are among the common dance injuries because of pointe shoes. But in actuality, bunions in dancers are often a result of turning out farther than your muscles can maintain.

Turning out too far causes your knee to roll inward, rather than staying in alignment with your ankle. Such a position causes the foot to over-pronate (roll in) putting pressure on that toe joint.

To prevent bunions, make sure you are only working within the turnout you can maintain. I promise, your turnout will improve over time. Cheating will only cause problems, and bunions only cause pain.

Treatment for bunions are orthotics, nighttime splints, and physical therapy exercises. But, if bunions go too far without attention, they can require surgery!

Ankle Sprains:

Ankle accidents constitute 20 to 25% of all accidents sustained by dancers.

And that makes sense because spraining your ankle as a dancer *almost* seems like a right of passage. Lack of focus, loss of balance, and working too closely to the limits of your strength are the major causes of sprained ankles.

Knowing dancers, I would be willing to bet that most ankle sprains are not because dancers are being careless, but rather because they are pushing themselves a bit farther than they are ready to go.

Now, I’m not telling you not to take big swings. But I am telling you to pay close attention to your body when learning new skills or running choreo over and over again.

If you’re starting to feel dangerously fatigued, maybe mark the jumps.

If marking is not an option, dial in your focus. When we are fatigued it’s very easy to cut corners mentally and physically, this is when injury occurs.

If you are too tired to focus, you are too tired to do the trick. Period.

Ankle Impingement:

Posterior ankle impingement is a pain that occurs in the heel and achilles tendon. This pain is most acutely felt when on rélévé or pointing your foot. It occurs when boney build-up on the heel bone (formed from thousands of hours in this position) compresses the soft tissue in the back of the ankle.

Anterior ankle impingement occurs where the shinbone meets the ankle (talus). Years of pliés, jump landings, and more cause a similar boney build-up in the front of the ankle causing compression in the tissues there.

Both of these issues can cause swelling as well as pain.

Anti-inflammatory medications and ice can help relieve the inflammation. In extreme cases podiatrists may recommend surgery- though physical therapy and anti-inflammatory regimens can usually prevent this!

Moral of the Story?

If you’re a dancer, having a physical therapist or doctor who understands what you do and how you move is vital. (For more information about how to choose a PT, be sure to tune into the blog next month!)

Knowing that the amount of hours we spend training can lead to overuse injuries is also important. According to this study, injury prevention tactics should start much younger in dancers than it does currently.

That way, we are not only protecting the next generation of dancers from injury, but we’re teaching them how to care for their bodies well.

Injury prevention exercises often don’t take a lot of work, but can have massive benefits for the lives of dancers.

And don’t worry, even if you didn’t start young, you aren’t disqualified from starting today!

If you’re thinking, “I don’t know how to cross-train” or “I don’t know what fueling my body as a professional dancer looks like.”

We’ve got you covered. From Body Mechanics to The Embodied Artist, the free resources on social media, our email newsletter, and this blog, chances are we can help you.

So, want to reach out? Shoot us an email at dancerswholift@gmail.com, or DM us @dancerswholift on instagram. We’d love to help you in your injury prevention journey!

Want more info from Dancers Who Lift? Give these blogs a read: Dancers Who Lift: More Than Just Resistance Training for Dancers, Injury Recovery 101: The Do’s and Don’ts for Getting Back on the Stage Faster, The Stair Down: An Adjustable Stair Workout

finding a physical therapist, physical therapy for dancers, dance physical therapist

Finding a Physical Therapist: Advice for Dancers From Broadway’s PTs

Finding a physical therapist that understands the unique needs of dancers can be quite the journey.

Not only does your physical therapist need to understand the unique demands you place on your body. But your physical therapist needs to understand the unique demands placed on you.

As dancers, we are often expected to deal with injuries swiftly and completely.

Finding a physical therapist that understands your need to heal well, while also understanding that you may need to return to the stage (or rehearsal) sooner rather than later is invaluable.

In fact, studies have shown that dancers whose injuries are diagnosed by physicians are more likely to miss class than those diagnosed by PTs.

And, no it’s not because doctor’s know something that physical therapists don’t. Quite the contrary.

Physical therapists who work with dancers understand the psychosocial element of injuries for dancers. Their goal is to help dancers lose as little time as possible, while keeping them safely progressing in their recovery journey.

We know that finding a physical therapist like this can be a challenge. So we decided to go straight to the source: Physical Therapists.

That’s right, we interviewed four physical therapists from Broadway’s Mims Method Physical Therapy in NYC.

These PTs work to keep Broadway’s performers injury, and pain free 8 shows a week. They even work backstage at the theatres at shows like “How to Dance in Ohio,” “Back to the Future,” and “Chicago” – just to name a few!

Today they’re giving their best advice for finding a physical therapist as a dance athlete.

Let’s dive in.

During the process of finding a physical therapist, are there any red flags dancers should be aware of?

The vast number of PTs out there, is one of the biggest challenges of finding a physical therapist you can trust.

The most resounding piece of advice the Mims Method team had for dancers was to find a physical therapist that wasn’t seeing multiple patients during one session – otherwise known as one-on-one care.

This is for a couple of reasons:

“Once you’re in the room with your PT, you should feel listened to and that your PT understands the goals you’re trying to reach.” – Mims Method Founder, Brittney Mims

Being listened to and understood is only the first benefit to one-on-one care.

Chris Falciano, one of the DPTs at Mims put it this way,

“I’d suggest making sure that your clinician isn’t juggling multiple patients at a time. For high-quality rehab, you want someone who is paying attention and focusing specifically on you and how you move.”

When your physical therapist is able to put 100% of their focus on you for your entire session, they have the ability to fine tune and tailor your training as they watch you move.

On top of that, you have access to ask them whatever questions you may have – which leads us to Kate Besong’s advice for dancers finding a physical therapist:

“It is totally appropriate for your PT to heavily focus on “non-dance” movements. [But] Even if they are not “fluent” in the language of whatever style(s) of dance you train in, your PT should always be able to connect what you’re doing to your functional needs as a dancer. You should always be able to ask questions like “why am I doing this?” or “how will this help me?” and the PT should be able to give you a logical answer that’s fairly easy to follow.”

If you’re PT isn’t able to tell you the why behind your training, that’s signal to take a closer look.

Just like your training at Dancers Who Lift, your physical therapy might not look like dance at all. But, just like your trainers at DWL, your physical therapist should be able to explain how this movement will help you recover from your injury, and help you as you dance.

Dan Ginader, well known for his TikTok, @Dr. Dan_D.P.T., mentions that finding a physical therapist who works with athletes is key.

“You should be wary of any PT that does not have a “sports focus”. You don’t necessarily need to see someone who works with dancers on a regular basis, but you definitely want a PT that works with athletes.”

Why?

Because dancers are athletes, and the sooner we start training and treating ourselves as such, the stronger and more resilient we will become.

What are questions we should ask to determine if our PT is a good fit for us as dancer athletes?

Part of finding a physical therapist you can trust is knowing what kind of questions to ask.

These questions tend to fall into three categories: Session expectations, Injury specific, and Personal.

Session Expectations

How long will my sessions be?

Will you be seeing other patients at the same time?

How much time will I spend with my therapist at each session?

Will I be working with a trainer or aide for the other portion of treatment?

What does a typical session look like at this facility?

As for this last question, the trainers at Mims recommend physical therapy sessions that combine manual therapy and strength training.

Injury Specific

What is my therapist’s experience with _____? Fill in with specific injury, age, hyper-mobility, style of movement/dance/etc

Are you familiar with EDS and/or hyper-mobility?

How do you communicate with a team (Doctors, coaches, instructors) to ensure a coordinated approach to my recovery?

(This last one is especially important if your injury requires surgery, worker’s comp, etc.!)

Personal (Person Specific)

Do you work with a lot of athletes or active people?

Have you worked with athletes who perform at a competitive level before?

Are you familiar with my style(s) of dance training/performance?

Now, none of these questions are necessary deal breakers.

For example, just because your physical therapist works with mostly ballet dancers, doesn’t mean they’re incapable of helping you, a modern/contemporary dancer who specializes in floor-work.

It does mean that you’ll need to advocate for your needs clearly as you progress in your recovery.

For example,

“I feel stronger doing ___ but when I do floor-work I’m noticing __. Can we take a look at that?”

A good physical therapist loves feedback.

They’ll want to know how you felt in your classes earlier this week. They’ll ask questions and have you show them things.

The more information the better, because their goal is to get you back to your normal – or better!

What’s your best advice to a dancer dealing with an injury?

While each and every physical therapist we spoke to hoped we’d come visit them at Mims Method in NYC, they know that there are tons of great PTs out there. (And that not everyone lives in NYC)

So, for any dancer in the process of finding a physical therapist, or even already working with one, remember these tips from Brittney Mims:

Strength Training is your friend. You will only become a better dancer the stronger you are. (No, we did not pay her to say this!!)
“RICE” is outdated- throw the ice away and do a little dive into “PEACE & LOVE” instead
Optimism is shown in research studies to improve speed and quality of healing, so don’t spiral! You’ve got this and you’ll be okay!

finding a physical therapist

And finally, let this final tip from Chris soak in:

“Be patient. Give yourself a lot of grace and keep your mindset in a positive place.”

It’s so easy to spiral as injured dancers. Not only are our jobs often on the line when we are injured, but we become separated from our community.

This separation can be surprisingly painful, even if it’s just for a short while. Let yourself feel it, but don’t lose hope!

With a good PT on your side, you’ll be dancing again in no time.

Be Patient

Much like healing from an injury, finding a physical therapist you click with can take time. But with grace and patience you’ll get to where you’re going.

It took me years to find a physical therapist I loved.

But you know how I did it? I asked for help.

If you’re part of the Dancers Who Lift community and you’re in the process of finding a physical therapist, ask the Facebook group or chat thread for recommendations in your area.

When you’re at auditions, ask your friends who they see. Ask your trainer if they have someone they recommend.

And If you’re in NYC, definitely go check out the team at Mims Method here!

Just remember, what works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s okay.

As long as you’re working with someone who understands your goals, understands your injury, and is ready to give their full focus to your care, you’re in good shape.

Want more tips from Physical Therapists?

Tune in every other week this spring for tips from these dance physical therapy experts.

You’ll hear about common dance injuries and how to avoid them.

We’re talking all the things your PT wishes you knew.

We’re even dropping exclusive emails with physical therapy exercises from a different member of the Mims Method team each week!

You won’t want to miss this series! Opt-in for these exclusive exercises here!

listening to your body, what your body wants you to know

What Your Body Wants You to Know: The Do’s and Don’ts of Listening to Your Body

Do you ever wonder what your body wants you to know? Like, if it could speak to you what would it say? What if I told you your body is speaking to you all day every day, we just have to learn to listen?

We all had that one modern or contemporary dance teacher who touted the importance of listening to your body.

You know, the one who was very grounded and spiritual, but also would torture you weekly by weaponizing deep pliés and silent screams?

The one whose instruction to eat a large, hot, meal after class and soak in a an epsom bath you ignored, and suffered from D.O.M.S. the next day as a result.

Well, it turns out, that dance teacher knew something that maybe you didn’t.

They knew how to listen to their body. They knew what your body wants you to know

That’s why they recommended a full meal. That’s why they recommended the bath. Those are techniques they used to quell the cues of muscle exhaustion their body was sending them.

But here’s where our dance teachers steered us wrong. They told us the prescription, but they didn’t teach us how to diagnose.

Learning how to listen to your body is immensely important. Not just as a dancer, but as a human being.

Re-Learn What Listening to Your Body Means

When we are babies the only skillset we have is listening to our bodies and responding; it’s instinctual.

You don’t have to teach a baby to identify when it’s hungry or full. It knows to ask (cry) for food and then stops when it’s had enough.

Unfortunately, as we age, the pressures of fitting into the expectations of family, friends, or social culture can cause us to tune out certain cues from our bodies. Tuning out these cues consistently overtime makes it more challenging to listen to them.

Listening to your body requires you to unlearn certain socially imposed expectations such as what productivity looks like, perfectionism, control, self-image, body-image, and the list goes on.

But if we take a moment to ignore those pressures momentarily and check in with our bodies we can recognize that every signal our body is sending us means something.

For example, I suffer from chronic headaches. For a long time I chalked it up to exhaustion, stress, or dehydration and would pop a Tylenol and go on with my day. However, when I started to get more curious about the why, I discovered something pretty incredible.

Whenever I felt a headache coming on, I’d first stretch my neck and thoracic spine. If that didn’t work, I’d up my water intake. If hydrating myself didn’t work I’d think about what I’d eaten that day.

Over the course of a few months, I realized that my worst headaches occurred on days in which my protein intake was low. These headaches were a way of my body telling me to eat! So simple!

Once I started honoring that cue, my headaches decreased exponentially!

That’s what your body wants you to know; that it has your best interest at heart.

Now, this is a pretty extreme example. But seeing how something like this changed my life inspired me to take a look at something that we all have experienced, stress.

Balancing Stress and Listening to Your Body

Stress is one of the loudest ways our body speaks to us. But, unfortunately, culturally we are taught to push through. We do this in the name of productivity, performance, success, and more.

And while we do need to push through fatigue or stress to get to our goals, regularly pushing past the cues our bodies give us to slow down can lead to physical, mental, and emotional problems.

Let’s talk about babies one more time. Have you ever been with a baby who is over-tired?

It’s a challenging experience that leaves you wondering,

“If they are so exhausted, why don’t they just fall asleep?”

The short answer? Stress.

You see, when a baby isn’t getting enough sleep, their tiny bodies go into stress mode – dumping stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin into their system.

Have you ever tried to take a nap during an adrenaline rush? Yeah, not happening.

Now, imagine how limited and exhausted you are when your body has been living in stress mode.

Not good.

That’s what your body wants you to know: “I’m exhausted to the point to stress.”

How do we listen to our bodies to prevent a stress or exhaustion overdose?

This is a fantastic question! I am so glad you asked!

The first thing you have to to do is learn to slow down and check in with your body throughout the day.

Take two or three minutes to close your eyes and simply notice things.

Start by taking a deep breath and do an emotional scan: “How am I feeling?”

Do you feel fatigued? Do you feel energized? Do you feel sad? Content? Numb?

Then take a scan of your body. Just sit quietly and notice things.

What is your breath like? Do any specific aches and pains jump out at you? Are you hungry? Thirsty?

Finally, take a stock of what you feel like your body wants.

Do you feel like you need to sit down? Are you in the mood to move? Do you feel like you’re one deep breath away from a nap?

Once you’ve checked in you have the power to decide what you need most.

But I encourage you to practice listening to what your body is asking for.

So much of being a dancer is focused on pushing through pain signals, hunger cues, and controlling your emotions. But that’s often when we see injuries, eating disorders, and mental struggles arise.

But when you practice listening to your body for awhile, you might find that your performances are better, your workouts are progressing faster, and you feel more in line with yourself.

And yes, that might mean that you skip a workout to foam roll, stretch, and take a mental health walk. It might mean that instead of staying home and isolating you call a friend and have dinner out. It might mean going to bed early instead of signing up on that audition list at 12:01 AM.

But in the long run the choices that you make to honor your bodies needs will always pay off in dividends.

Don’t believe me?

Give it a try for yourself. Find out what your body wants you to know.

We were born with all of the instincts to not only survive but to thrive as living beings. Stop silencing those instincts.

Your body wants you to win. That’s what your body wants you to know.

Trust it.

Did you like this blog? Check out: 7 Helpful Journal Prompts for Dancers, Are Foods Good And Bad? Building a Healthy Relationship with Food, Gym Myths and Misconceptions: The Dancer Editio