Tag: health

Not So Fast: Real Talk on Intermittent Fasting

If you keep up with the #fitfluencer community, chances are you’ve heard of the latest nutrition trend: intermittent fasting, or IF. Proponents of intermittent fasting boast all kinds of benefits, from improved sleep to decreased inflammation. But is intermittent fasting the real deal? And is it right for dancers? Dance Spirit spoke with Rachel Fine, […]

The Dancer's Guide to Maskne

Having to wear a mask is a small price to pay to finally be back dancing with partners other than our family members and pets. But we won’t lie: Masks are uncomfortable. If you’ve experienced “maskne”—increased irritation and acne from frequent mask-wearing—you’re not alone. Luckily, dermatologists have quickly become experts on this new dilemma. Dance […]

The Truth About Soreness: Answers to All Your Burning Questions

We all know the feeling: You wake up the day after class or rehearsal just to find that you literally. cannot. move. To answer all your burning (pun intended!) questions about the way-too-relatable topic of soreness, Dance Spirit enlisted the experts: board-certified sports medicine specialist Dr. Selina Shah, and Michelle Rodriguez, MPT and physical therapist […]

Real Talk About How Body Dysmorphia Affects Dancers

Though candid conversations about eating disorders are (thankfully) becoming more common in the dance world, one struggle continues to plague dancers at an alarming rate: Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). In an industry centered on physical appearance, BDD—more commonly known as body dysmorphia—can sometimes feel hard to avoid. But there’s hope, and help, for those in […]

Dancers, Here's How to Get Your Sleep Schedule Back on Track

While taking all those #SocialDisDancing Zoom classes at home certainly helped keep your technique up to par, the relaxation of your daily schedule—no need to wake up early to catch a bus!—may have messed with your sleep cycle. Finding it harder than usual to get up for that Saturday morning rehearsal? Here’s how to make […]

How to Take Charge of Your At-Home Dance Health

Despite all pandemic-related odds, you’ve more or less managed to keep up a dance training routine, whether it’s via your home studio’s Zoom schedule, Instagram Live classes, or Mark Kanemura’s living room dance parties. Slow. Clap. That’s a feat to be celebrated. But dancing in less-than-ideal environments—i.e., pretty much every at-home space—can take a real […]

Let's Get Physical: How and Why to Take Advantage of Your College's PT Resources

At first, visiting your school’s physical therapist is like visiting a foreign country. It sometimes feels as though PTs are speaking a totally different language. (“Wait, what did she just say about my tendonitis?”) With time, you’ll come to understand that physical therapy is one of your school’s most valuable resources, whether or not you’re […]

Pain Relievers 101: Everything Dancers Need to Know

For dancers, aches and pains are just a way of life. But deciding which medication to take for what pain, and when? It can be confusing. Dance Spirit talked to two experts in the field to find out everything you ever wanted to know about pain relievers. The Whos and Whats According to Jeff Russell, […]