Ballet dancers make challenging moves look fluid and simple. They can easily glide across the floor and perform amazing acrobatics. These ballets do not wake up one day get that fluid; they spend endless hours.
Dancing and professional athletics require the body to be in its best shape. With all the gruesome exercise, injuries are part of the job. To keep their bodies ready to go, ballet dancers can go for a whole-body massage. Massage, for ballet dancers, is not a way to enjoy the evening, it is a necessity. Below are some of the reasons why ballets need massage therapy.
Improves Recovery Time
Injuries are common on the dance floor. The muscles and the tendons might be damaged after hours of rigorous exercise. Before the next exercise session, the ballet needs their body to have healed.
Massage therapy improves the circulation of blood into the muscles. It also enhances the transport in the lymphatic system, enhancing nourishment of the muscles and removal of waste products and toxins. Toxins such as lactic acid that form after strenuous rehearsal sessions need to removed fast. For that to happen, the muscles need oxygen and food, which supplied when the muscles are well-nourished.
Enhances Flexibility
Remedial massage is not only able to enhance blood circulation but also flexibility and range of motion. This is especially important for ballet dancers as the dance involves a lot of limb movements. To help in flexibility, massage manipulates muscle and connective tissues to released soft tissues that increase one’s flexibility.
Prevents Injury
If you can recover fast as a ballet dancer and take less time to recover, your performance will also improve. With myotherapy, a dancer’s joints are stabilized; the muscles are stretched and strengthened, which prevents injuries during a dance.
Release Stress and Anxiety
Most people take massage as a way to relax the body and mind. After a massage session, the cortisol levels in your body will reduce. Cortisol is released when you are in pain or stressed. When massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system, there is an increase in serotonin and dopamine, two hormones that improve mood, helps dancers relax, and alleviates pain.
How Does Sports Massage Help Different Parts of a Ballet’s Body?
A sports massage heals musculoskeletal pain. This is pain that affects the muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. The massage involves the manipulation of the soft tissues throughout the body to enhance the wellbeing of the dancer. Usually, a whole-body sports massage is needed as the whole of the ballet’s body is involved.
You can visit a massage parlor or have a massage chair at home. It is more convenient when you have a massage chair and have your massage at any time of the day without leaving your home. Occasionally, you can have a professional massage you. If you are looking for a massage seat, you will see quite the selection online for you to choose from.
Quadriceps and Hamstrings
When dancing, a ballet uses their quadriceps, hip muscles, calves, feet, glutes, core, back, and pelvic floor muscles. For starters, ballets use their hamstrings and quadriceps a lot. When extending the legs and bending the knees, the hamstrings are used. The two muscles are also needed at the bar when the dancer jumps and needs a safe landing. These muscles will get tight and therefore a sports massage can help.
Hips and Calves
Turnouts are important in ballets. From the moment a dancer starts training, they are taught that turnouts should only come from the hips. This way, the hips, and glutes are tasked a lot.
Pointe work causes a lot of injuries in ballet. The calves and the muscles of the feet are always tasked and this makes them important for a ballet dancer. During pointe work, all your weight rests on your toes through your feet. All these moves can result in pain and discomfort that a massage can treat.
Back, Core, and Pelvic Muscles
Ballet dancers need to hold up their upper body and perform other moves; everything should look fluid and effortless. When you have to constantly hold your posture and keep your body up, you might experience pain. With a strong back and core, you will have the stability needed to keep your body up and in great balance.
Pelvic muscles will help in turnout. As such, they might also experience pain after a session of strenuous exercise.
Overall, a sports massage can help relieve different muscles of pain and tension. This way, a ballet dancer can perform better.
