|
As dancers we are strong, competitive, high-performance athletes determined to master everything thrown at us. Adding on to our flexible nature, we can also be very resilient causing our body to break down over time due to the repetitive stress. We are often reluctant to complain about ongoing pains, aches, and injuries, past or present. So when is it appropriate to say no when a strenuous move is asked of you? Pain from muscles that have been worked on a day or two before is often “good pain” or in medical terminology: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. These aches are usually ok to push through. Pain that does not ease after 3-5 days or tends to progress throughout class should not be ignored. Pain is the body’s way of telling you to pay attention to something that is not right! Sometimes it’s something that is harmful or it may be the way you’re treating your body that needs to change. Forcing yourself to ignore it, tolerate it, or ease it without taking the time to deal with the cause will prevent your body from receiving this important information.
|
