Thread: Coping with the physical issues of professional dancing/teaching

It's been mentioned a few times in other threads, but I thought I'd start a new topic...

How much does performing and teaching really trash your body? What do you do to cope? And what are you going to do as you age and it all gets too much?

We say that bellydancing is a great form of exercise, and I certainly agree. Done in a safe way, it should not cause serious injury. But as a teacher and performer, I just don't seem to be able to avoid cumulative fatigue and muscle strain, especially towards the end of each term. My knees, feet and back all cause me problems, no matter how hard I try to move 'correctly'. I think a combination of gigging without the opportunity for a good warm-up/cool-down, plus repetitive strain from multiple classes, just makes this par for the course.

I'm 37, at the height of my dance career, but it's getting harder to continue. I'm realising I need to form a contingency plan if I want to keep my business (and myself) healthy.

This is one of the reasons my teacher eventually retired. I know she got massages regularly and used infrared saunas, and also farmed out some of her teaching work/closed her school for a month twice a year so she could recuperate. Some people can go and go, others are more injury prone.

Hadia's system is supposed to help you readjust so that the dance becomes more natural and you work with, not against, your body's natural movements - thereby allowing you to do it for ever. I certainly felt great after doing her class, and reminded myself I must get her DVD out again and use it!

Moderation!

I teach a lot more than I perform, but I find that 12 classes per week is my absolute limit. One more class (or a lot of performances, rehearsals, or other physically demanding activity like hiking or working out) and I'm starting to have chronic pain. It takes me FOREVER to heal from an injury because I can never take even a day off.

Building downtime into your schedule is important. I do much better if I teach no more than 4 classes per day and if I take 2 or nearly 2 full days off in a row rather than having them spread out.

I'm working on other ways to generate revenue. At 45 I think I'm looking at only about 5-10 more years of FULL-TIME teaching tops, realistically. I can imagine myself teaching a couple of classes a week beyond that, but not full-time.

I realize that working out to stay conditioned and physically strong helps the other active part of life. Dancing is the occupation, not the actual form of exercise, in other words.

That, and using "Pain Free" as my bible. I know, I'm such a fanboy for that book but it has really helped incredibly.

I'm 39 and have only been teaching full time for 3 years, but it's already getting tough. I get through with monthly deep tissue massage therapy, a great chiropractor, plenty of sleep and the moderation that Lauren was talking about. I limit myself to no more than 10 classes per week, and try not to stack classes/workshops and gigs one on top of the other if possible.

I feel your pain, at 45 (with a history of dance related body issues:). Wow, I know I caould not do 12 per week, hats off on that one! I also have a very active day job working with autistic pre school children so that does a number as well.
Can you get a class demo girl? Someone who would like the experience for later? That might help ease the stress on your body.
In my experience I have seen ballet teachers in class float on air in class and walk to their car as if they were 80. Such is a job that uses your body I guess.
i would talk with your doctor if you are having lots of issues and try to see someone about what you can do to not do damage if having specific issues!

When I was looking for a job, I got by teaching, gigging, AND waiting tables. Nearly killed me! That was about 5 years ago and even though I'm older now, I definitely feel much younger now that I'm not performing and teaching every day.

Moderation is definitely the key. I demand a lot from my body, so I try my best to take care of it--I rest when it needs to rest, and feed my muscles with plenty of protein, vitamins, and minerals. And then treat myself every now and then with a massage or some other luxury.

Moderation is absolutely the key. It's with any physical job, any sport: if you overdo it the body wears out.
I'm very careful, have once burned myself out (15 years ago), and couldn't walk any more, so no way I'll do that again!

best trick i know = make sure at least one of your regular students is a massage therapist and trade classes for massage ;)

Regular massages and daily stretching help a lot. There are massage therapists who specialize in dancers and athletes, they can really help you out.

I firmly believe that a regular fitness routine and overall healthy lifestyle is essential to the wellbeing and vitality of a full time dancer. Muscle toning helps support our joints and cardio does worlds for endurance. Diet also plays a big part, since we exhaust our bodies so much we really need to make sure we are getting tons of vitamins, minerals, and proteins.

I work 6-7 days a week teaching and performing. I do at least 30 min of cardio a day, weight training 4-5 days a week, and do an hour with a personal trainer 2 days a week. Its not easy, it takes time, but it helps me so much. If I dont work out for a few days its like someone drained all the energy out of me.

Also make sure your diet is balanced, you are properly hydrated and you are getting enough things which will assist you in rebuilding / healing damaged muscle and cartilage.

{{{HUGS}}}

OK, this is something I don't understand, and bear with me here. If you are using your body at a high pro belly dance level most hours of the day, you're working muscles hard, drilling aerobically, stretching etc, and hopefully you are eating right and hydrating sufficiently. If all of those things are in place, why is additional exercise so necessary?

shoes. i wear dance shoes when i'm teaching alot. the jazz boot kind, if i dont, my knees complain.

and i realllly need to find a decent sports massage person. this little provincial town doesnt have many though.

well, according to my physiotherapist, whose advice i ignore due to lack of time, i should hit the gym, to train the muscles underused in bellydance.

my outer thighs are too strong compared to my inner thighs, and my belly muscles are too strong compared to my back. my shoulders are too strong and my neck is too weak (that last one has nothing to do with bellydance but an accident i had as a teen).

these inbalances are unhealthy and might cause injuries, and could be fixed by using the right fitness equipment in moderation (i need to do the exercises realllly slow and on the lowest weight setting). i just dont get around to it. i try to counteract it by some do it at home exercises and yoga.

when i go fulltime dancer, i might force myself (but then i wont have the money for the fancy gym, lol)

Originally Posted by zumarrad

OK, this is something I don't understand, and bear with me here. If you are using your body at a high pro belly dance level most hours of the day, you're working muscles hard, drilling aerobically, stretching etc, and hopefully you are eating right and hydrating sufficiently. If all of those things are in place, why is additional exercise so necessary?

Ah, interesting.

my outer thighs are too strong compared to my inner thighs

Wow, really? Those inner thighs do half the work for me...

I know my teacher was asked how it was that she had the abdominals of a pro athlete when she had a physio exam once, because they didn't realise that belly dancing alone would do it.

I do get the impression that, done the right way, belly dance works just about everything. Not in a 1000 reps gym sort of way, but in a "my whole body feels well used" way. But because it is so personal we tend to use the bits we like best and sometimes forget the rest...

It's a big issue with me. I'm 52 this month and I find it harder and harder to keep up with the physical hard work. My biggest difficulty is that I teach four hours on two of my teaching days (a beginners class followed by an intermediate followed by an advanced one) I can hardly get out of bed sometimes on the following day - not from pain, just exhaustion.

I need those classes to pay the mortgage so can't use an assistant and I can't spread the classes out over the week because my husband hates me to be out every night. Also, I don't work to terms - I keep going through the year, so the fatigue can really build up.

I'm still working on a complete solution but the things that have worked a lot for me include:
1) using a head mike so I'm not using energy raising my voice over the music
2) a regular sports massage - compulsory I would say
3) good nutrition - eating enough protein and carbs directly after class - within 30 minutes of finishing the class. It has completely stopped the muscle soreness I used to get after a long teaching session
4) adrenal support. I went to a nutritionist who said I was overtraining and exhausting my adrenal glands. She prescribed a programme of adrenal support nutrition including eating small meals every three hours, lots of rest, and adrenal supplements
5) LOADS of rest!! I'm covering for another teacher this week on top of my usual classes so I've spent the whole weekend on the couch reading. I try to do that at least once a week just to give my poor old body a day off.

I wish I could still work my body the way I used to when I was in my twenties - I could dance and practice all day then and it hurts that I can't do it any more. But I guess I'm coming to terms with that and recognising that what I do have that I didn't before is experience.....

Oh and the one thing that I've realised I CAN'T do is extra exercise or cross train. That's a hard one to come to terms with. Even a pilates class whacks me out for a week

I used to be a swimmer, in professional level training, but i didnt want to do competitions, i didnt want to move from the 'swimschool' to the 'comp team' so i gave it up gradually. but that's where the legs come from. dancing than made it worse.
comes in handy for deep dips and shimmies on a deeeep bend though.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Ah, interesting.
Wow, really? Those inner thighs do half the work for me...

I know my teacher was asked how it was that she had the abdominals of a pro athlete when she had a physio exam once, because they didn't realise that belly dancing alone would do it.

I do get the impression that, done the right way, belly dance works just about everything. Not in a 1000 reps gym sort of way, but in a "my whole body feels well used" way. But because it is so personal we tend to use the bits we like best and sometimes forget the rest...

Yea, super strong legs are essential to sustaining really good shimmies among other things. Our bodies can also work up a kind of tolerance for our dancing, I know mine has, so sometimes it takes extra time at the gym to stay looking good. All of the pro dancers in Cairo that ive had the chance to briefly talk to at workshops and lessons have stressed the importance of working out. Ive heard that Dina actually has a leg press machine in her house so she can use it every day.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

OK, this is something I don't understand, and bear with me here. If you are using your body at a high pro belly dance level most hours of the day, you're working muscles hard, drilling aerobically, stretching etc, and hopefully you are eating right and hydrating sufficiently. If all of those things are in place, why is additional exercise so necessary?

Because optimally, to do an activity, you need the strength and endurance that the activity needs, plus a little bit more. And yet if that activity is all you do, you never push into that "little bit more".

Choo-choo shimmies never did anything but exhaust me and make my knees hurt -- just choo-choo shimmying several times per week wasn't getting me anywhere, until I seriously got back into weight training (squats and lunges). Predictably, as soon as I had gained significant strength, they started coming more effortlessly to me and my knees stopped hurting.

It is the same reason that olympic gymnasts and pro sports players do strength training. A lot has been written about *sport-specific strength training*. I will try to find some good articles later. Gotta run do my sport-specific strength training now.....g.:

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

best trick i know = make sure at least one of your regular students is a massage therapist and trade classes for massage ;)

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

shoes. i wear dance shoes when i'm teaching alot. the jazz boot kind, if i dont, my knees complain.

and i realllly need to find a decent sports massage person. this little provincial town doesnt have many though.

Originally Posted by CharlotteDesorgher

Oh and the one thing that I've realised I CAN'T do is extra exercise or cross train. That's a hard one to come to terms with. Even a pilates class whacks me out for a week

These all resonate strongly with me.

I've been wearing teaching sandals with a little bit of a rubbery heel (Pedinis) and that has made SUCH a difference for my knees!!

I teach yoga, too, so that's all the crosstraining I get to do.

Zumarrad, when I was still able to do strength training and cardio, my dance was improving rapidly. When I teach, I *can't* push myself to a cardio limit, I need to be able to still calmly teach, etc. Even in rehearsal or performance, I'm rarely winded or working at my target heart rate for 20 minutes or more. Bellydance just isn't all that aerobic. When I work out aerobically, I have SO much more energy and power in my dance movements! It's as if my body is filled with energy that I have to restrain and hold back, creates a very different effect. Also strength training makes it easy-peasy to have an erect posture and elegant, effortlessly lifted arms for an entire 30-minute set.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I've been wearing teaching sandals with a little bit of a rubbery heel (Pedinis) and that has made SUCH a difference for my knees!!

OK, I'm off to the dancewear shop right now!!! My knees are a nightmare!

oh wow, this catalogue has oo much i want. much nicer prettier choice than in the local shop i go too, going to try and order some through the store!

CatalogSelect-Footwear-Jazz

It's always recommended that pro athletes cross train and the same makes sense for belly dancers.
"Full time" for teaching a physical oriented class (and/or performing) is different from "40 hour a week" full time job. There's simply no way to sustain that kind of activity and stay healthy.
I'm fortunate enough to teach Pilates. At 7 classes a week I don't demonstrate all of it obviously. I demo for beginners of course, at times when students need it, but also demonstrate some exercises that help my own imbalances. It adds up to an average of 3 or so Pilates classes a week and I throw in healthy portion of exercises from dance classes, physical therapy etc. Sometimes we use resistance bands, sometimes large exercise balls. All good cross training stuff.
The way I teach belly dance however I do much more demonstrating.
Add 6-12 full belly dance shows (down from 7-14).
Teaching 2 weekly belly dance classes.
Taking 1 belly dance class.
Walks with my husband.
Occasional yoga class with my husband.

Maintaining a healthy weight makes a big difference with joints.
"For example, it is estimated that a force of nearly three to six times one's body weight is exerted across the knee while walking; an increase in body weight increases the force by this amount"
Role of Body Weight in Osteoarthritis

Making sure in class and when performing that you do movements to both sides is also vital. We all favor one side and when one performs this way all the time you can run into problems. It's important in teaching as well of course, for our own benefit as well as that of our students.
Taking vitamins, eating well, stretching out and getting rest all factor in too.

Cross training is very important for all the reasons mentioned above. I weight train but never have a lot of time for extra cardio like I should be doing.

One more thing I should add is pacing. When I first started teaching I would lead the class through all the movements, drilling just as long as they do. This was especially true when teaching choreography. Students want you to do it with them so they can follow you. Well, you can't do that when teaching multiple classes per week--it'll just wear you out. So now, I demonstrate the movement, then make the students drill while I observe. Or I'll do the choreo with them for the first part of class then they're all their own, or I have another student who 'gets it' in front as the lead.

Apart from walking, I do no other "training". I dance/teach 3 times a week and once a month do a 3 hour workshop.
I eat well I believe..lots of fruit and veg and a balanced non-meat diet, I am on medication including pain-killers that take the edge of what ails me but also the aches and pains I find I inevitably suffer increasingly with age. I find I have slowed gradually at first after getting to 60 and particularly this last year, my 64th.
I have tried gym work on arms(in particular) in particular but the pain afterwards was not productive just damn painful.
We do have to measure a willing spirit against an aging body.
I'm lucky that I do not have to go out to work....

I'm teaching 14 classes at the moment. I also perform, usually only 3 or 4 times a month and teach privates, etc.

Not too bad as it is my living but I have two days with 5 classes in a row and that is really too much. I would recommend no more than four in a day.

I sleep A LOT, like 10+ hours a night.

I know a doctor at UCLA who works with professional athletes studying repetitive use injuries. He is working with the Lakers, the Clippers, etc. These guys have trainers, coaches, nutritionists, massage therapists, you name it ti keep them in tip top shape. They still have cartilage wear down and break down, still deal with sprains and strains, and other injuries which are due to over usage, improper usage and age.

His recommendation for most of us is to make sure we eat properly, train carefully and consciously, stay hydrated, get enough sleep and take supplements if we feel we need them. Weight training becomes more important as we get older. But cardio is always important.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by ouroboros

I'm teaching 14 classes at the moment. I also perform, usually only 3 or 4 times a month and teach privates, etc.

Not too bad as it is my living but I have two days with 5 classes in a row and that is really too much. I would recommend no more than four in a day.

I sleep A LOT, like 10+ hours a night.

wow.

I have two days with 4 per day in a row and I'm in pain afterward. I've been manipulating my schedule a bit to try to alleviate that.

I can't even imagine teaching 10 in 48 hours.

I'm getting better at NOT dancing through the entire class. It gets to be a habit --- but it's really better teaching to demonstrate a couple of times and then circulate around the room while the students drill or repeat the choreo. (same thing with yoga. My yoga teachers told me that a great teacher never does a pose in class -- doesn't need to, because they've developed verbal cuing that communicates effectively. I hope to someday be that great! LOL)

I'm getting better at NOT dancing through the entire class. It gets to be a habit --- but it's really better teaching to demonstrate a couple of times and then circulate around the room while the students drill or repeat the choreo.

This is also better for the actual students. In an ideal world we teach classes and then go to somebody else's class to ensure WE get our drilling time!