Guess what? You don’t have to spend hours training outside of dance class in order to improve. Really. You don’t. In fact, you could do more harm than good if you are overdoing it. If you are getting sick often, having recurring injuries, feeling excessively tired and/or lacking in motivation, chances are that you are overtraining. In training to improve your sport, a little bit can go a long way. For example, it is entirely possible to improve your flexibility by spending only five minutes per day doing an effective stretching routine when your muscles are warm. A similar principle applies to core strength, increased turnout, stamina, strength, etc.
Most of you already spend three to five evenings per week dancing for two to three hours each. And don’t forget that the majority of you are also still growing! Because of this, your body needs time to rest and recover. “Developing fitness and sports programs for young athletes can be a challenging process that involves balancing the demands of training with the need for recovery” (ACSM Health & Fitness Journal). So make sure that you are choosing the most effective exercises to make improvements, putting quality effort and focus into dance class, and getting the rest and recovery that your body needs. You should also be fueling your body with healthy and energy boosting foods, but that’s a topic for another day….