Dance Your Way To Health & Fitness

88DB Festive Guide, Guide & Tips, Sports & Recreation — By 88DB Editor on October 28, 2010 12:12 pm

From ancient tribal dances to the elegant ballroom dance and vivacious modern jazz, dancing continues to represent an integral part of sociocultural activities.

Social dancing has been popularised in recent years among many that want to keep fit. Indeed, dancing can be considered a form of exercise. An hour of ballroom dancing burns an average of 240 calories per hour.

Common Dance-related Injuries

Up to 8 in 10 professional dancers have an injury each year; majority occuring in the lower limb and spine. Ballerinas are prone to back injuries, foot and ankle problems while aerobics carry a risk of stress and ligamentous injuries to the lower limb.

Risk Factors

Poor core strength
Pre-existing musculoskeletal problem
Pregnancy
Osteoporosis
Improper training
Lack of warm-up
Faulty dance techniques
Inadequate hip external rotation
Weak eccentric strength of leg muscles
Foot & ankle problems: high-arched feet, stiffness of the big toe joint, tight Achilles tendon, foot structural deformities
Barefoot dancing
Continuous jumping