Why Dance Is An Ideal Activity for Athletes

Your child is going to try a lot of athletic activities. Whether they try soccer, surfing, or golf, dance is also an effective way to perfect your child's athleticism. Dance allows for creative expression and different interpretations of physical activity, while strengthening their bodies.

So, why is dance an ideal activity for athletes?

It helps develop strength, endurance and good posture, all with little risk for injury when compared to many other kinds of exercise. Not only that, but it also helps enhance limb mobility, improving arm and leg movement, translating into more versatility of movement.

Here are 5 ways Dance can help your child become a better athlete.

1. It provides anaerobic training

Training "anaerobically" includes types of activities that are performed at a high intensity, for a short period of time. Anaerobic literally means "without oxygen". This doesn't mean you stop breathing, or even that your body doesn't use oxygen. It simply means your body is processing oxygen at a faster rate than it can take it in. As a result, you begin to use other sources of energy. This is how we access our fat stores and replace it with muscle (in a long-complicated process that I won't explain here). Anaerobic training is characterized by short bursts of vigorous activity.

Dance class is structured with combinations that are very vigorous, followed by rest and feedback from the instructor.

2. Gaining Strength

Along with anaerobic training, dance allows athletes from other sports to use new muscles and have a greater body strength overall. For those who participate in contact sports like football or rugby, dance allows the bones to strengthen so the risk of injury is a bit slimmer. With focus on motor fitness and strength, dance also allows for athletes to get a different muscular tone overall that their original sport may not immediately supply.

3. Increased Coordination

Dance training involves a large amount of memorization with consistent repetition of specific steps. If other athletes practice dance, these movements may allow them to become more coordinated as routines typically increase spatial awareness. For athletes who participate in sports that track balls across a long field, this can be increasingly helpful in becoming more aware of the surroundings of the ball along with its target.

4. Focus On Flexibility

While many sports require athletes to stretch in order to reduce a strain on muscles, many athletes fail to focus on the benefits of flexibility. Dance moves that really push the body to the limits in terms of stretching can allow the strengthening of neglected muscles while allowing athletes to push their limits when it comes to performing in their sport. Some professional football teams have incorporated barre work into their training, resulting in lower injury rates across the season.

5. Boosting Endurance

When playing on the field, an athlete must maintain a certain level of endurance. By taking a dance class for one or two hours a week, an athlete is exposed to a different form of endurance than running sprints or circuit training. While cardio exercises like running on a treadmill allow athletes the ability to burn calories quickly while boosting endurance, studies have shown that just 30 minutes of dance training can burn up to 300 calories. Dance bolsters endurance by allowing athletes to train longer while working harder on the field.

Overall, dancing allows the body to focus on fields that other sports may initially neglect. Studying dance can be useful for all athletes' bodies, while allowing them to express themselves through creative freedom. Dance is more than just an art, it is an outlet that leads to a stronger sense of athleticism.

Our South Coast Conservatory motto is to create dancers that are strong, smart, and kind. And we want all of our dancers to have the strength to do great things. The health benefits they gain through their years at South Coast Conservatory will last a lifetime. Enroll in one of our programs and experience the athleticism your child needs.

At South Coast Conservatory we CHANGE LIVES THROUGH DANCE!

Laguna Niguel, CA