My Favorite Conditioning Exercise for Dancers

I try to encourage my dancers from a young age to think of themselves as athletic and strong. Building strength is critical to their success as a dancer. I think teachers tend to over emphasize flexibility. Flexibility is an important element of dance; but equally important is the strength to control that flexibility!  Hands down my favorite conditioning exercise is the basic push-up. Dancers can gain upper body strength, core strength, tune in to their alignment, and see their dance technique improve as a result of their increased strength. What's not to love?? Below I have outlined the progression of the exercise as I teach it at my studio. Dancers should begin with the plank on their knees and move their way up to the full push-up. I start incorporating planks into my technique classes at age 7.

Plank on Knees
1. Hands should be placed directly under the shoulders. Dancers should aim to create a straight line that extends from the top of their head to their knees. Focus should be down at the ground.
2. Hips should be pulled under, eliminating any curve in the low back.
3. Dancers should envision pushing the ground away from them and avoid "sitting" in their shoulders. 4. Hold for 30 sec. (or until form starts to suffer). Repeat 2-3 times.

Plank on Toes
1. Same as above, but instead of resting on their knees, both legs are extended fully behind them and the straight line extends from the top of their head out their heels.
2. Hold for 30-60 sec. (or until form starts to suffer). Repeat 2-3 times.

Push-up from Knees
1. Find your "plank on knees" position. Take arms out slightly wider than shoulders.
2. Lower the body down towards the ground bending the arms to a 90 degree angle before coming back to the starting position.
3. Fingertips should face forward and elbows can flair slightly away from the body.
4. Maintain strong alignment as the body moves. Keep the hips pulled under.
5. Work up to 10 repetitions. Repeat 2-3 times.

Push-up from Toes
1. Same as above, but instead of resting on knees, legs are fully extended.
2. Work up to 10 repetitions. Repeat 2-3 times.

Helpful Hints
- Go for a full range of motion. A lot of times in class I see older dancers doing a mini push-up; they are on their toes but barely moving their upper body. I would rather see them go to their knees and get a full range of motion (finding a 90 degree bend in the elbow). They will see results faster!

-Watch the alignment when dancers are doing push-ups from their knees. Dancers tend to leave their backsides up in the air while they move their arms. Make sure the body is moving as a unit and it isn't just the chest that is moving up and down.

-Set a goal! By age 12, I think most dancers are capable of doing 10 quality push-ups from their toes. If a high school student is not able to do this, building strength should be a priority in their training. Adding a few sets throughout the week will get them there in no time! Their technique WILL improve as a result of the added strength:)

Need a visual? Check out this guide from Dance Spirit Magazine. They have even included a few variations once the traditional push-up is a breeze:)