Foam Rolling

Foam rolling is really just giving your muscles a massage that they have earned after all that stress of dancing: the long rehearsals, the jumping, the repetitiveness. With your own body weight, you're applying tension to your muscles and fascia (the thin muscle sheet that connects to all your muscles, bones, and organs) to release knots, flush out blood, and get movement back. For us dancers, that means longer stretches, smoother transitions, and fewer restriction points. It can loosen you up and get you moving more freely before class, especially after you've sat around for a bit.

A very simple habit can do you a world of good down the line: roll your calf from your ankle out to your knee, your hamstring from your knee down to your glute, and your quad from your hip out to your knee. Don't forget your IT band down the outside of your leg (you'll want to roll this slowly, as this area is oftentimes tight). And your upper back to get you loose. Spend two minutes or ten minutes focusing intently on going slowly and breathing deep enough that you actually release muscle and not just glaze over it. A little foam rolling can get your body to recover faster, perform better, and be looser in tomorrow's pliés.