Alternative Workouts for Dancers and Cheerleaders

Alternative Workouts for Dancers and Cheerleaders

Do you love to workout but sometimes you get too sore to reach your fullest potential? Dance and cheer are a different type of sport that both take a different kind of athlete to perform because, unlike other sports, dancers and cheerleaders have to make it look easy. These sports are unique because we use smaller muscle groups that require a different type of exercise. Going to the gym to get a workout in is great, but for your next workout consider some of these workouts that can really benefit and enhance your skills.

The first workout that is recommended for dancers and cheerleaders is yoga, and if you have taken a yoga class before you may recognize some familiar ballet techniques! Yoga is very beneficial because it maximizes flexibility whereas a weighted workout tightens those muscles. Yoga has a big emphasis on balance, stability, and proper body alignment which is crucial for dancers and cheerleaders. Yoga moves at a slower pace which allows the muscles to open up and lengthen as opposed to sudden movements that can tear and pull the muscle. 

 A second workout that dancers and cheerleaders should participate in is Pilates. Pilates is a beneficial workout because it consists of body resistance exercises that helps athletes find their center and corrects their posture. Pilates, dance, and cheer all stress the importance of executing each movement with great precision. Although you may not feel as if you are getting an intense workout, you are burning the same amount of calories and working deeper into those smaller muscle groups. This is why Pilates is a great addition to an athlete’s workout routine.

Another new form of exercise that is becoming increasingly popular is known as the Barre Workout. This workout also takes a ballet approach to fitness, and it focuses on burning calories and raising your heart rate with small movements that tone the body. Barre workouts are low impact and aims to create lean muscle. It targets smaller muscle groups and pushes them to their maximum potential which in return gives you better results when you are practicing or performing.  

After any workout stretching is the key to creating long lean muscles! Stretching keeps the body warm and helps avoid muscle tightness and tension. As athletes, it is important to stretch for at least fifteen to twenty minutes before and after any type of workout. You may feel stretched after an hour of yoga or Pilates, but it is still important to stretch to keep those muscles elongated so that they do not shrivel up like a rubber band.    

 Athletes need to work out regularly to stay in shape for the season, so try balancing out your workouts each week to avoid tight or pulled muscles. Dancers and cheerleaders should focus on balance, stability, and elongating muscle groups in order to become stronger athletes. Challenge your body and switch up one of your high impact workouts and try a yoga or Barre class! These classes are fun, challenging, and low impact workouts that are just as effective as a high intensity weighted workout. Participating in a high impact sport like dance and cheer can be intense, so do your body a favor and try these “dance and cheer specific” workouts to benefit your body!

 The authors

Taylor Amerson was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada.  She graduated from The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in May of 2015 with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Communications.  While attending UNLV, Taylor was on the dance team known as the Rebel Girls for four years.  In 2013 she was ranked a National Champion in the UDA Hip Hop Division 1A category and ranked third place in the UDA Pom Division IA category.  From then on, UNLV has been one of the top 3 schools in both Division IA Hip Hop and Pom.  Along with dancing on a college team, Taylor also became an instructor for UDA in 2013.  Over the past three summers she has taught many camps at the high school and collegiate level teaching different styles such as Pom, Jazz, and Hip Hop.  She just returned home from Chile where she was teaching in Santiago and Antofagasta.