by JP Chan, DPT
No matter your area of dance – whether it’s ballet, bellydance or hip-hop – you need a mobile spine.
Many dancers will develop a hinge-point: a hypermobile area in the spine where most of the movement is created. While aesthetically pleasing, and sometimes unavoidable, the hinge-point is an area of increased pressure. Over time, repetitive movement through this hinge-point can lead to pain and even tissue damage. Dancers would highly benefit from building their lumbar spine musculature to reduce this risk. Try the following exercises:
Bird Dog
Dead Bug w/ Resistance
RDL
*PLEASE NOTE: a hinge point is not a terrible thing. As previously mentioned, sometimes it’s unavoidable, especially to achieve the pictures or visual lines needed in a choreographed piece. What we can control is acknowledging these are areas of hypermobility and training ourselves to be able to safely achieve these positions. Train for a long and fulfilling career – not a short and dramatic one!
If you experience back pain, our Doctors of Physical Therapy at Evolution would be more than happy to assist.
