Quote:
Originally Posted by antimony
I think it's just as bad for the knees as weighing an extra 10 pounds, and carrying extra weight is always rough on the knees. 10 pounds of weight, added to the body, add about 20-25 extra psi of pressure on the knees.
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This is my concern exactly. It's not
much worse than carrying 10 extra pounds -- BUT you'd put 10 pounds on gradually, and you'd build some supporting muscle around the knees gradually to help support it. Taking the extra 10 pounds off and putting it on again instantaneously is going to be harder on your knee joints than just gaining 10 pounds -- but gaining 10 pounds is also hard on your knees.
I think putting on a weight belt to do some drills is not so bad. If you're very careful to have good posture, knees neither too bent not too straight, not letting the knees collapse inward. You'd want to be working under the guidance of an instructor who has some real knowledge of body mechanics.
But putting on the belt and dancing, improv or choreo, is a real problem. Stepping, turning, traveling, etc. we can't always maintain perfect technique. It's very easy to twist at the knee, or let the weight drop inward.
Women's knees are particularly unstable and prone to injury because of our relatively wider hips. The femur comes into the knee joint at an angle rather than straight down. Female athletes, dancers, etc. should understand the knee joint and it's surrounding soft tissue so they can protect themselves.