IMPORTANCE OF HYDRATION FOR DANCERS

Diet, Exercise, Sleep & Hydration.

Most professional performers get at least one out of the above four.  Exercise we definitely get.  Long rehearsals and performances up to 6 or even 7 days a week can hit us hard in the sleep department and we don’t often have time to cook a good meal each day so our diet could be at least 50% better for most of us I’m sure.

 Race care drivers have pit crews and are continually having their car serviced and checked over. The best fuel and safely interior put in their cars and except no substitute to insure they are well prepared for race day.

 If we treated our bodies the same way race drivers treat their cars we’d have a healthier and perhaps longer “dance life” in the industry.

 Not enough hydration can lead to visible results such as dull dry tired looking skin and muscle cramps. The signs we may not see are the internal ones of dehydration sometimes causing more serious concerns like Kidney stones that can be quite painful and sometimes ending in surgery.

 We all hear it, are you drinking enough? Well are you? We know we should have 8-10 glasses per day & as an athlete, dancers should increase that quantity as well as frequency.

 Make sure your drinking in between rehearsals and performances.  When you’re given a drink break try and take a few sips of water even if you’re not thirsty.  If you need to ask you teacher for a drink it’s too late, your body has already started to dehydrate.

 Because we sweat when we dance we loose vital nutrients. Sports drinks are a good alternative to water that help replace these nutrients you have lost.  Be careful your drinks don’t contain a lot of colour and sugars.  Ones from the chemist like Hydrolite come in handy ice blocks which is a great snack after class.

 So follow these little steps and stay healthy by eating vitamin enriched fruits and vegetables.  Getting at least 8 hours of sleep, drinking plenty of fluids especially while teaching, rehearsing and performing and you’ll be on your way to having a long and healthy dance career.

Tina Sparks

Stand Out Cosmetics –On Stage & Off-