3 Ways to Prevent Foot Injuries in Dance

A dancers feet is the most important part of their body.  If you don't take care of them, you may either end your career too soon or be sitting on the sidelines watching while you heal instead of participating.  Here are 3 easy steps to make sure your feet stay in tip top condition and prevent foot injuries.

Develop Muscular Feet.  Even though feet have muscles, most of the time people ignore them and just expect their feet to move them throughout their day.  Most people only want to get from point A to point B and not put much thought into their feet unless they need a new pair of shoes or their feet start to ache.  Dancers are more aware of their feet then anyone and are more likely to realize when their foot muscles ache or when their foot is injured.  You can prevent foot injuries by being aware of your feet and taking care of them on a daily basis.  Feet need rest, just like the rest of our body, and should be propped up for awhile daily-especially if you are a dancer.  Your feet also need regular message and daily skin care. 

Aim for Limber Feet.  Dancers are usually well aware of the fact they need to stretch before dancing.  Even though you may have given your legs a good stretch, don't forget to stretch out the foot muscles separately.  Foot muscles need to move and stretch in all directions.  This is because your foot muscles are prone to cramping during physical activities, especially activities where your feet are used a lot.  Tight muscles of any kind are more prone to being injured.  So, you want to make sure you  avoid foot injuries in dance by stretching out all the muscles in the feet and ankles.  A good way to do this is by using a Thera-Band Foot Roller to stretch out the arches.  With this roller, you will be able to give your arches a good stretch and avoid having them suffer with cramping.
Have Light Feet.  Be careful of how you land from jumps, spins, and turns during your dancing routine. Make sure you always wear a good solid support shoe, during and outside of dance, to prevent foot injuries.  You don't want to land flat footed when dancing, especially if you are dancing without shoes.  To land softly out of jumps, spins and turns, you will want to use your upper body and knees.  Be aware of your surroundings like out of place objects and other people on the dance floor.  You don't want to land on a object or another person, this not only could cause an injury to you but the other person as well.  Have good body alignment also.  A stable core will also help align your body from your hips down to your ankles.  If your foot lands one way and your body the other, you may not be able to avoid a foot injury, so having a stable core is very important in keeping your balance.

Your top priority should be to take care of your feet.  Not only do they allow you to dance, but they also have an affect on the rest of your body.  If you do have a foot injury or just have questions on how to better take care of them, contact our office at 419-423-1888 or at http://www.vailfoot.com/ to schedule an appointment with Dr. Vail.