Safe, Effective Stretching 101

1. Get warm.

You’ll stretch best when your muscles are a little warm. Do some easy, simple movements to raise your body temperature. Keep in mind, this isn’t a workout, just a warm up!

2. Hold for at least 30 seconds. (But not too long.)

Static stretching is best for dancers. If you hold for shorter than 30 seconds, (by bouncing, fidgeting, or coming in and out of the stretch) you will lose the effectiveness. You might get some temporary increase in flexibility, but for long term results you have to hold it.

The same is true for holding the stretch for too long. Although doctors may subscribe prolonged stretches, it’s best to avoid doing this yourself. Two minutes is the maximum suggested by professionals, but really you can get great results by holding for 30 seconds to a minute and repeating, as discussed in Tip #5.

3. Push until you feel it. Stop before it's painful.

Your ideal stretch is at the point where you feel your muscle stretch, and it may be uncomfortable, but it isn’t sharply painful. More pain isn’t more gain. In fact, stretching past pain can cause injuries.

4. Breathe and relax.

Breathe while you stretch. You’d be surprised how often dance teachers have to remind dancers of this! For some reason, our bodies like to forget to breathe when we are focused on stretching, so it takes some mental focus to remember to breathe. In fact, if you can breathe and relax while you stretch you will reduce the resistance your body is giving and increase your results.

5. Repeat

It’s best to stretch for short intervals but repeat each stretch three or four times a session. In a dance class, there is not always the opportunity to repeat a stretch multiple times, so you need to be doing this at home for long-term flexibility. The more often you stretch, the faster your flexibility will develop, so aim to stretch every day!

By: Chelsea Rayna, Director and Founder of ADEPT

Resource: IADMS, Resource Paper: Stretching for Dancers - https://www.iadms.org/page/353