How to Improve Hamstring Flexibility: Dancer Edition
Do you ever get the feeling that no matter how hard or often you stretch, things never seem to change?
When you head into any dance studio or watch a class or performance, you will most likely see high kicks, big leaps, and lots of splits. As an aspiring young dancer, I always found myself eager to learn how I might achieve these movements, and how I could become as flexible as possible. I know that I was not alone, as one of the most commonly asked questions I receive from a dancer is: How can I improve my hamstring flexibility?
How Does Flexibility Compare to Mobility?
In order to answer this question, it is important to understand what flexibility and mobility really are, and what you may be looking to improve. Flexibility can be thought of as the passive length of your muscle. Mobility, on the other hand, is the ability for you to actively move a limb through your range of motion. For example, your ability to kick your leg as high as you can versus using your hands to pull it up. The capability of your muscles to take you through a complete range takes flexibility, but mobility is required to use it while dancing. That being said, while flexibility is super important, mobility is what will matter most to your dancing.
So…do I stretch my hamstrings?
How do you really lengthen a muscle? Your first instinct may be to stretch, just as you may do before or during any dance class. Although it may feel great, a large volume of research has determined that static stretching does not improve the length of the hamstring muscle overtime unless it is held for a SIGNIFICANT duration—5-10 minutes 5x/week for each muscle group! That is much more than the 30 seconds held for each leg in most center stretches during a dance class. I don't know about you, but I do not have that kind of time in my day.
Static stretching has been shown to have short term effects on muscle length, but does not carry over even into the next day. The main benefit of stretching was found to be improved tolerance to stretch, meaning that as you stretch more, you will become more comfortable with reaching your end range motion. This end range of motion will not change, but you may feel less discomfort. As such, passive exercises such as stretching or foam rolling may help you feel better reaching your highest kick or lowest split, but it will likely not allow you to go much further without the proper strength and control.
Strength Training Leads to Greater Flexibility
Many dancers and athletes assume that strength training makes you bulky and inflexible. It’s not so.
It may come as a surprise but the right strength exercises will be an extremely effective way for you to not only become more flexible but also allow you to use the flexibility you gain to dance with greater ease. It is true that strength training can make you less flexible if you do not perform the exercises through your full range of motion. But if you use exercises that add low to moderate resistance while pushing your range of motion, you will gain strength and flexibility at the same time. In fact, some specific strength programs will add more muscle units, known as sarcomeres, in order to improve the length of muscles so you can be more flexible. This is incredibly important for performing moves like battemat, arabesque ponche, and the front leg of your splits and leaps.
Examples of these strength exercises include the following:
Straight legged deadlift
Single leg Romanian deadlift
Long Arc Quadriceps (ie seated kick)
Active Straight Leg Raise
How can I apply hamstring lengthening to my dance class?
Dance classes often start with some sort of warm up, followed by a seated static stretch, followed by movements across the floor and in the center of the room. Oftentimes the only focus on the hamstrings prior to completing more complicated dance sequences is during the seated or lying stretch. With this in mind, having a dynamic warm up with some hamstring strength exercises may assist you in optimizing your dance class and improving your high kicks and ponchés. The exercises can be as quick as 5 minutes, and may even replace some stretches to do while waiting for your dance teacher to begin class.
Did you know we have Dance-Specific physical therapists?
Prioritizing hamstring strength is an important part of optimizing your dance performance, so I hope these tips can help you achieve your goals and get your groove on. If you have any questions or are interested in learning more about dance-specific physical therapy, give our office a call for more information or simply request an appointment.
References:
Increasing Muscle Extensibility: A Matter of Increasing Length or Modifying Sensation?
Cynthia Holzman Weppler, S. Peter MagnussonA systematic review of the effectiveness of eccentric strength training in the prevention of hamstring muscle strains in otherwise healthy individuals
Osita Hibbert, BSc (Kin), MPT a Krystie Cheong, BHK, MPTa Andrew Grant, BSc (Kin), MPT a Amanda Beers, BHK, MPTa Trevor Moizumi, BSc (Kin), MPT aEffects of eccentric training at long-muscle length on architectural and functional characteristics of the hamstrings
Jan Marušič, Rok Vatovec, Goran Marković, Nejc ŠarabonThe Relation Between Stretching Typology and Stretching Duration: The Effects on Range of Motion
Ewan Thomas, Antonino Bianco, Antonio Paoli, Antonio Palma