Have you ever noticed that all professional athletes focus not only on their main sport activities, but also spend a lot of time in the gym? Well, professional dancers are partially athletes too, so let’s figure out why it matters.🤔⁣⁣

There is a difference between dancing simply for joy, and dancing with the goal of improving your dance skills. They are not mutually exclusive, and hopefully you have both things going on. But 👉 when you decide to step onto the path of improving your dance skills, the intensity of training kicks up a notch. You start pushing your body to pull off more intricate moves, expecting it to keep moving even if exhausted. And although it may seem totally doable for short term periods, in the long run you need that extra support to ensure your body can handle the dance demands without having it breaking down. 🔥⁣⁣

It’s not only about injury prevention. If you train your muscles in various ways, it’s easier to access them during belly dance movements. That’s when your technique can get way above average!

Conditioning involves three key elements:

✅ Strengthening your muscles

✅ Developing cardio

✅ Stretching

All three are equally important, and finding the right balance is the goal. So, every time I get the question, “I want to go pro in dance. What should I do?” I usually throw back a simple answer: “Hit the gym!” 😁 It’s not about losing weight; it’s about getting your body ready for the dance spotlight.⁣⁣

The good news is that it doesn’t necessarily need to be a practice at the gym, or boring burpees/ leg lunges at home, lol.🤗 Explore what clicks for you—whether it’s pilates, cycling, EMS training... The options are endless. Just make sure your training is well-rounded.

What kind of physical exercises do you think would serve as a good complimentary training for your belly dance activities?