How To Prevent Injury

As a professional dancer, ballet teacher and flexibility coach, I've spent years pushing my body to the limit, training hard to perfect technique while avoiding injury and managing muscle soreness. I know firsthand how important it is to keep your body in top shape, not just to perform your best but to ensure you have longevity in your dance and teaching career. Whether you’re a beginner mover or a seasoned dancer, protecting your muscles and joints from injury is key. So, if you’re here to dance longer, stronger, and with less pain, read on for my top tips that I've learned from both personal experience and professional insight. Let’s dive in!

Warm-Up with Purpose: Gradual, Targeted, and Dynamic

You might be eager to jump right into your routine but trust me: never skip your warm-up. I’ve seen it happen time and again—dancers eager to start full out, only to pull a muscle within minutes (and no, pliés at the barre are not your warm-up). A solid warm-up prepares your body in under 10 minutes by increasing blood flow, loosening muscles, and boosting mobility. A proper warm-up is essential for preparing your muscles and joints for the demands of dance, stretching and exercise. But it’s not enough to just go through the motions—your warm-up should be tailored to the type of movement you're about to do.

Why It Matters: Warming up increases blood flow, gradually raises your heart rate, and prepares your nervous system for the complex motor patterns dance requires.

Example:

• Start with dynamic movements that mimic the actions you’ll be performing. If you’re focusing on leg work, incorporate leg swings, lunges, and hip flexion and rotation
• For upper-body-intensive routines (such as contemporary styles that involve a lot of arm use), focus on arm circles, shoulder rolls, and thoracic spinal twists
• A quick 5-minute cardio warm-up, like skipping, can also increase your core temperature, improving muscle elasticity and reducing the risk of tears

If you experience specific tightness, like in your hip flexors, integrate targeted dynamic stretches during your warm-up. For example, lunges with a side bend help activate both the hips and the core while increasing range of motion.

Prioritize Proper Alignment: Your Core Is Your Anchor

Alignment isn’t just about looking good—it's fundamental for injury prevention. Poor posture or incorrect body alignment puts unnecessary strain on your joints, leading to chronic issues over time. As dancers, we’re often so focused on perfecting our technique or learning choreography that we sometimes neglect our body’s alignment. However, good posture and alignment are essential for avoiding injury, especially when you’re working on complex movements or jumps. If your pelvis or spine is out of alignment, you risk putting unnecessary strain on your knees, hips, and lower back. Take the time to check your alignment regularly by sensation or in the mirror or ask a teacher or friend for feedback.

Why It Matters: Proper alignment ensures that your joints, especially your spine and knees, are protected during movement, reducing the risk of overuse injuries such as patellar tendinitis or lower back strain.

Example:

• Imagine you’re doing a grand jeté en avant. If your pelvis is tilted too far forward, the impact from landing won’t be evenly distributed, stressing your lower back and knees. Instead, maintain a neutral pelvis and engage your core strength to stabilise your body as you land

Tip: Regularly practice core-strengthening exercises, to build a stable centre. A strong core supports your entire body and helps maintain alignment even in the most demanding of movements.

Listen to Pain Signals: Know the Difference Between Discomfort and Injury

It’s easy to dismiss pain as “just soreness” or a sign of hard work, but not all pain is created equal. Knowing when to push through and when to pull back is crucial to preventing long-term damage. This might seem like obvious advice, but it’s surprising how often dancers push through pain in fear of missing out or falling behind and in fact it’s been researched that dancers’ pain tolerances are far higher than the average person, meaning we often don’t even register injury or pain unless it’s extremely serious. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something isn’t right. Listen to what it’s telling you.

Why It Matters: Pain is your body’s early warning system. Sharp or persistent pain can be a sign of inflammation or injury, such as tendinitis or a stress fracture. Addressing pain early helps prevent it from becoming chronic. If something hurts, stop and assess. Minor discomfort might just be fatigue, but pain that persists or worsens could be an early sign of injury. Don’t be afraid to take a break or consult a professional.

Example:

• If you experience a sharp, stabbing pain in your Achilles during relevé exercises, that’s a red flag. In contrast, general muscle soreness after a hard day’s work is usually a sign of muscle repair and growth.

Cross-Train for Functional Strength and Mobility: Build a Balanced Body

Dance requires incredible flexibility, strength, and control, but if you’re only dancing, you may be neglecting key muscle groups that stabilise your joints and prevent injury. Cross-training will help.

Why It Matters: Strengthening underworked muscles helps support your body during dance, particularly in movements like turns, jumps or pointe work that require precise control. Cross-training also helps prevent overuse injuries by balancing the demands placed on your body.

Example:

• Include resistance band exercises and dumbbells to strengthen smaller stabiliser muscles, such as your glutes and rotator cuffs. These muscles support your bigger, more active muscle groups like the quads and shoulders.
• Try swimming or cycling for low-impact cardiovascular training. Both activities engage muscles that dance may not target, while giving your joints a break from high-impact movements like jumps.

Cool Down and Stretch: Set the Stage for Recovery

Cooling down is just as important as warming up. A proper cooldown helps your body transition from high-intensity work to a resting state, promoting better recovery and reducing muscle soreness the next day. There are so many great tools out there to help alleviate muscle soreness and speed up recovery. Foam rollers, massage balls, and resistance bands are great for loosening tight muscles and increasing blood flow to problem areas and I use them all in my own practice as well as in my studio classes.

Why It Matters: Stretching post-workout helps realign muscle fibres and promotes blood flow, speeding up recovery. Skipping this step can lead to stiffness and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Foam rolling promotes myofascial release, reducing muscle tightness and improving circulation, which accelerates muscle recovery and helps prevent stiffness.

Example:

Immediately after your dance class or workout, lie on the floor with your legs up against a wall at 90 degrees for 4-5 minutes. This will help drain the lactic acid from your legs and eliminate that heavy feeling that usually kicks in after a heavy session.

• After a long rehearsal or workout, take 5-10 minutes to gradually slow down with light movement, such as walking or gentle yoga flows. Then, focus on passive long hold stretches for areas that tend to get tight, like the hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves.

For deeper muscle release, use a hard massage ball or golf ball on hard-to-reach spots like the arches of your feet, hip flexors and glutes. Roll slowly over each area for 1-2 minutes to break up knots and tightness. When you find a particularly tight spot, hold the pressure for 3 deep breaths

Pro Tip: Spend 10-15 minutes each day using a foam roller to massage out any tight spots in your muscles. I like to work from my feet up towards my shoulders every morning, which helps my body feel energised and awakened for the day. If you can, treat yourself to a deep tissue massage occasionally—your body will thank you! And finally, stretch before bed! Stretching prior to sleeping will also help with falling asleep faster and produce a more restful sleep. This is due to the relaxation of your muscles and nervous system, improved blood flow and reduced tightness.

Hydration and Nutrition: Fuel Your Body the Right Way

Hydration and nutrition are key players in preventing muscle cramps, fatigue, and injury. But simply drinking water may not be enough, especially during intense physical activity where you lose electrolytes through sweat.

Why It Matters: Dehydration affects your muscles’ ability to contract properly, increasing your likelihood of cramping or injury. Staying hydrated with balanced electrolytes ensures your muscles function optimally.

Example:

• To boost hydration, add a small pinch of salt to your water. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it! Salt helps your body retain water and replaces lost electrolytes like sodium and potassium, reducing the risk of cramps and muscle spasms.

Pro Tip: Focus on post-dance meals that include high-quality protein to repair muscles, paired with complex carbohydrates (like quinoa or sweet potatoes) to replenish glycogen stores. Add in healthy fats from avocados (my favourite!) or nuts to reduce inflammation.

My favourite foods effective at speeding recovery time:

• High Potassium foods – Reduce muscle soreness and cramping. Bananas, oranges, and melons all have high levels of potassium.
• Pineapples – Naturally high in bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory and helps prevent strains and sprains.
• Cherries – Studies have shown cherries an excellent anti-inflammatory food. They also contain natural antioxidants.
• Fish & Omega 3 fatty acids – Great choice of food for joints and muscles for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Prioritise Rest and Sleep: The Power of Recovery Days (and nights!)

Rest and recovery days are essential to your dance routine. While it may be tempting to keep pushing through, your body needs time to repair the microtears that occur in your muscles during training. One of the most overlooked aspects of injury prevention is rest. Dancers are notorious for overworking themselves, but rest is when your body repairs itself and builds strength. Skipping rest days or not getting enough sleep can lead to burnout and injuries.

Why It Matters: Sleep and rest are when your body repairs damaged tissue, builds muscle, and solidifies neuromuscular connections. Without adequate rest, your body will be more prone to overuse injuries and burnout.

Example:

• Take at least one complete rest day per week or consider active recovery activities like gentle yoga or swimming. These low-impact activities still promote blood flow but give your muscles a break from high-impact movement
• Prioritise magnesium-rich foods like dark leafy greens, nuts, and seeds before bed (particularly almonds) as magnesium aids in muscle relaxation and can improve the quality of your sleep
• Indulge in a magnesium salt bath in the evening about 1 hour before bed

Pro Tip: Aim for 7-9 hours of regular sleep per night and schedule regular rest days into your routine. If you’re feeling particularly sore or fatigued, consider doing an active recovery day with light stretching or walking rather than pushing through a full-on dance or workout session.

Final Thoughts

Injury prevention and muscle care are ongoing processes. By integrating these practical tips into your routine, you’ll not only reduce the risk of injury but also optimise your body’s performance and recovery.

Your body is your most valuable asset as a dancer—treat it with the care it deserves, and it will reward you with strength, fluidity and longevity.

Take care of yourself

Gwendolenwww.movementbygwendolen.com

Follow me on Instagram @movementbygwendolen and @gwendolennelson