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Working with adolescents, I often have conversations with them and their parents about college. I always love hearing why they like certain schools – rarely is “price” one of those reasons.
Does price matter? Of course! As someone who spent 9 years in school, I certainly understand that price matters. Is it the only thing that matters? I doubt it. Picture this… You’re driving to a college campus for a tour with your 17 year old daughter. You’re both excited about the possibilities and maybe a little nervous about the unknown. You eat at the dining hall, meet a few professors and current students, and go to a football game. The school seems to have everything – it checks all the boxes but leaves you feeling uninspired. As you get back into the car to drive home, you look at each other with a mutual “Meh.” Now imagine this… You tour another college campus and do all of the same things. It also checks all of the boxes, but this school gives you that gut feeling – the one you can’t explain – that this is exactly where she’s meant to be. You see your daughter’s eyes light up when she gives you the “This is the one” look. All you’ve ever wanted was for her to be happy – and she’s beaming. Before you drive home, you go to the bookstore and buy the school t-shirt and pennant – you’ve both already decided this is the right fit. You take pictures of her with her new gear to share with family and friends because you’re both so excited about your choice and what’s to come. When choosing a college, the overall experience, potential opportunities, and that unexplainable gut feeling likely play into your decision. Would you choose a school based on price alone before you know anything else about it? I doubt it. However, for many families, a semester’s tuition is not in their usual budget. Parents often look at the price tag and think, “I don’t know how we’re going to pay for that, but we’ll figure it out.” They get creative to “find” the money because they believe that education is important and they are confident that this school is the right choice for their child. Education is an investment in the future. So is healthcare. Choosing a provider based solely on price is looking at healthcare as a cost rather than an investment. Don’t you want to know more than just the price? Just like choosing a college, doesn’t the experience, potential outcome, and gut feeling matter? You and your child deserve a healthcare experience filled with as much support and joy as choosing a college. Find the provider who will talk with you about your concerns and what you’re looking for. Get a sense of what’s possible by working together. Feel that connection where they somehow just totally get you AND your child. Go with your gut instinct of “This is the right choice for us.” Feel confident that you have made the decision that is right for your family – ALL things considered.
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Warming up before dance class or a performance prepares the body for the movement demands to come. There is a nearly immediate positive correlation that dancers can easily recognize – “If I warm up now, I dance better in 15 minutes.” However, the negative correlation between not cooling down after dancing and feeling sore 1-2 days later may not hit home as much due to the delayed effect. Dancers’ time is limited with other things demanding attention like eating, schoolwork, spending time with friends and family, etc. so the cool down period after dance is often skipped.
Why is a cool down so important? A quick change from dancing to not dancing causes the heart rate and breathing to slow too quickly, leaving blood that was just circulating throughout your body to pool in your limbs. This allows metabolic waste products (accumulated by the muscles when dancing) to stick around rather than be flushed out. This can contribute to muscle soreness 1-2 days following your dance activity. So, before you sit in the car on the ride home, make sure you end your dance session with a cool down. A good cool down should last 5-15 minutes with the goals of muscle relaxation and progressive return of the heart and breathing rates to normal resting rates. This is done by continuing to move at a decreased intensity (i.e. gentle running, leg swings, etc.) and safe stretching. By continuing to move, your muscles will pump the waste products out and help your body recover faster. Moderate intensity static stretches can be performed during the cool down – NOT during a warm-up! Target the large muscles groups used most during the preceding dance activity and hold approximately 30 seconds, 3-5 repetitions each. Contract-relax stretching can be great during this time as the muscles are warm and able to safely elongate during the relaxation phase with the added benefit of pumping the waste products out during the contraction phase. The length of a cool down will vary depending on time of day, intensity level of activity performed, and environmental temperature. It is important to still be mindful when cooling down to avoid poor postural habits and potentially stretching joints rather than muscles. This can be a great time to reflect on the dance session and any new insights or positive changes noted. If you would like more information on how to incorporate a cool down into your dance training, email me at pthead2toe@gmail.com or connect with me on Instagram @head2toe_physical therapy! I recently spoke to a dancer who told me 4 fellow dancers in her competition company were injured within 2 months. She believed it was related to discontinued or shortened warm-ups before rehearsals. I think she could be right…
Dancers usually take part a warm-up at the beginning of class because dance teachers understand its importance. Sometimes the dancers themselves know injuries can happen if they don’t warm up and know they perform better when warm. However, I sometimes find that students don’t understand the importance of warming up and go along with it simply because it’s part of class. So, what actually happens during a good warm-up? How it can positively affect dance performance? First, let’s get clear about one thing… Sitting on the floor to stretch before class is NOT A WARM UP!!! Static stretching has its place at the end of a class or rehearsal during the cool-down phase (also very important and will be discussed in a later blog). The goal of a warm-up is to warm the body and prepare it for the dance demands to come. This means warm-ups should look different for different styles and levels of dance. Regardless of type of dance, every warm-up has the same goals: increase the heart rate with general movement, mobilize the joints, dynamic stretching of large muscle groups, and increase the heart rate with dance-specific movement. What really happens during an effective warm-up?
The benefits are clear, but how long should you be warming up? A warm-up should last approximately 15 minutes. However, there are certain factors that can influence this timeframe. A longer warm-up duration is needed in the mornings and evenings (as compared to middle of the day), as we age, and in cold or wet environments. Keeping in mind that a warm-up prepares the body for what is to come, a longer warm-up may also be necessary in preparation for advanced classes with increased intensity and activity demands compared to beginner classes. It is super important to warm up before every class, rehearsal, performance, competition, and audition in order to prevent injuries and keep you dancing your best. If you would like warm-up recommendations, email me at pthead2toe@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @head2toe_physical therapy – I would love to help! |
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