Injury prevention tips for dancers

1. Proper training and teaching are essential to allow a dancer to develop the necessary skills without injury.

2. Rest between workouts and give your body plenty of time to heal itself.

3. Drink plenty of water and eat enough to maintain your energy levels.

4. Executing dance moves safely requires correct conditioning and strengthening of leg and foot muscles.

5. Look after your dance shoes!

6. Wear supportive footwear between classes and dance session.

7. Vary your dance workout. Practice pointe or demi-pointe work one day, then focus on something else the next.

8. Pain and swelling are an indication that something is wrong. Continuing to dance will only make things worse. If pain continues after a few days rest, get advice from a sports-medicine specialist. Don't just hope it will go away.

Be sure to stretch and then stretch some more. That is the key to me. The last thing you want is to get hurt. I know a friend who got badly hurt dancing, but there was a hole in the stage that was not properly covered. She caught her foot in it and fractured her leg, ruining her career as a dancer. Of course, once the Indianapolis injury attorney was finished, she made out alright, but she misses dancing. Be careful.