Pre-Holiday workout plan and training for your body!
Exercise can bring a multitude of holistic health benefits. However, it can be quite tedious, especially for people not used to exercising. As a result, many have turned to dance as the ultimate workout as it engages both the body and the mind in a fun way. Specifically, dancing can help with several health concerns, such as weight management, cardiovascular health, and depression. Because of this, dancing as a primary exercise method has become even more popular given the recent trend in more inclusive and accessible fitness.
In response to this, fitness experts trained in exercise science training and education now actively adapt popular workouts to complement a wider range of interests including dance. For example, many personal trainers use their skills in client monitoring and plan personalization to tailor targeted programs that can enhance dancing performance and reduce the risk of injury. While every dancer has their own goals, if you’re thinking of tapping a fitness expert to help with your dancing, here are some workouts you may want to bring up:
Core Strengthening
In dancing, your core is also essential in maintaining control of your movements. Through core strength and stability, you can execute more explosive or demanding dance moves. As such, core strengthening workouts prevent dancers from losing their balance or throwing their weight the wrong way. At the same time, these workouts can stretch the lower back muscles, safeguarding you from potential injuries. Our dance studio provides ample fitness classes to strengthen your core, making use of dynamic stretches, free weights, or substitute props for ab-focused training.
Express Abs with Annie: Thursdays at 5pm
Express Abs with Jessica: Saturdays at 11am.
Tickets: Click Here to register or use your MindBody App.Barre
Barre is a workout focused on toning and sculpting the glutes, legs, arms, and abs — all of which are essential parts of powerful dancing. Ballet and yoga-inspired barre exercises include endurance and cardio training, alternating between holding a muscle-engaging position and dynamic stretches. Through these exercises, dancers can improve their endurance and stamina. This ensures that you can accomplish long dance routines with ease. For those looking to improve their flexibility and stability, our founder and CEO Jessica Rae teaches weekly Power Barre classes at our
dance studio using resistance bands and gliders.
Power Barre with Jessica: Tuesdays at 5:30pm
Barre Sculpt with Annie: Thursdays at 5:30pm
Tickets: Click Here to register or use your MindBody App.Pilates
Another method of expanding your dancing endurance and flexibility is to engage in Pilates. Like barre, Pilates is a low-impact exercise that relies on fluid, controlled motions to lengthen muscles and ensure proper postural alignment. But unlike the previous exercise, Pilates is a total body workout involving various equipment ranging from hand weights to specialized reformers or bands. If you were previously injured, Pilates is an effective way to minimize the impact on your joints while mainly working out your core muscles at the hips, abdomen, and lower back.
Tickets: Click Here to register or use your MindBody App.Yoga
Yoga practice is great for dancers looking to increase their range of motion and stillness. Regarding physical benefits, yoga focuses more on loosening joints, limbs, and muscles and improving overall mobility. Besides this, since yoga hinges on proper breathing techniques, it can improve a dancer’s mindfulness. This has the added perk of helping you relax and cope with any mental health challenges that may be affecting you on and off the dance floor.
Through these fitness activities you can improve your strength and make engaging in various dance routines much easier. Over time, you will find that complementing your dance with these targeted workouts can help you become a more proficient and well-rounded dancer.
Yoga Flow with Serena: Wednesdays at 5:30pm
Tickets: Click Here to register or use your MindBody App.Meet our Author
Vanessa Marilyn Houston is a freelance writer and editor. She enjoys writing a variety of topics, particularly those on health and fitness. In her spare time, she likes to swim and spend time with her two Golden Retrievers.
Rae Studios is a dance studio overlooking downtown San Francisco, located inside the Native Sons building serving our community since 2011. Our facility features three unique plant inspired spaces. Studio 1: "Live Your Life S1", Studio 2: "Rhythm and Flow" and Studio 3: "Creative Lab". Our spaces serve as studio rentals and private lessons by day and group classes by evening and weekends. Centralized around, hotels, shopping and various restaurants and is easily accessible by BART and MUNI. Our group classes are available in-person and online featuring a diverse instructor roster of 25+ teachers and 40+ classes 7-days a week. Our community welcomes people of all levels offering classes focused around dance including yoga for stretching, fitness for strength, cardio for endurance, and dance for technique & training.
Check out our Full Class Schedule offering 40+ classes, 7 days a week!
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