No matter what, Maggie Carey knows that at the start of every season, her calves and toenails are going to be in pain. “It’s usually a pretty brutal week,” the Smuin Contemporary Ballet dancer admits. As much as she tries to gird herself ahead of time or “baby” her body with ice and foam rolling, nothing quite prepares her for hours of rehearsal in pointe shoes. “Coming back to work is always a shock to the system,” she says.
For any dancer, returning to the studio after a period of time off—or even just a lighter workload than usual—can be surprisingly tricky. “Muscle memory makes us feel like we can just jump right back in where we left off,” Carey says, but our fitness will probably lag behind our enthusiasm. Staying healthy requires playing the long game, easing back in with a safe, strategic approach.
Take It Gradually
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Elizabeth Tilstra, a physical therapist near Nashville who specializes in dance medicine, suggests giving yourself permission during that first week back to only do center combos once, or to put in just 60 to 70 percent effort. “You can put your full mental energy into it, but protect your tissues, conserve your body,” she says. “And then, over the next couple of weeks, start to progress how much physical energy you’re exerting.” For instance, during jumping phrases, she recommends shifting your focus to things like controlling the landing rather than trying to jump as high as you can. Or, if you typically dance in pointe shoes, maybe you take them off for part of class until your feet readjust to the stress of wearing them daily.
Of course, this can be hard for dancers. Many are classic perfectionists, says mental-performance coach Jaclyn Ellis, MS, who works with dancers through Peak Performance Sports. So instead of focusing on what you can’t do just yet, set yourself up for a series of small successes. “Try to make realistic goals, and put a timeframe to them,” Ellis says. Maybe you can decide to do center combos twice through by the end of that first week back, for example. But adjust your goals if needed. “Listen to what your body needs, what it likes and doesn’t like,” Ellis says.
Ramp Up Your Diet, Too
When your schedule suddenly gets a lot more hectic, your appetite can sometimes become unreliable, says registered dietitian nutritionist Rachel Fine, RD, CSSD, who specializes in working with dancers. “That happens for two reasons: First is the busyness, but also if you spent the summer not dancing, then your appetite could have adjusted during that time,” she says. That’s why she recommends regularly eating at least three meals and two snacks a day during this time, no matter what your hunger cues are telling you, to prevent underfueling.
In particular, Fine suggests making sure you get enough carbohydrates, since that’s what will stock your glycogen stores to fuel back-to-back days of classes and rehearsals. As a general rule, carbs should take up about half of your plate, she says. “So you’re not just having cheese as a snack, but you’re pairing it with crackers, or you’re building a smoothie that might have protein powder, but also incorporates fruit,” she says. This will help give you the energy you need to tackle the increased workload. And be proactive about drinking water throughout the day. “We often see hydration fall by the wayside in the fall because with colder temperatures, dancers just don’t think about it as often,” Fine says.
Prioritize Warming Up and Cooling Down
As you reenter the studio, give your body extra time to adjust to the demands of dancing each day. “Be very intentional about warming up and cooling down,” Tilstra says. That might mean you get to the studio 15 minutes earlier than you typically would to do some resistance-band work that activates the right muscles. Then, instead of immediately moving on to the next part of your day after class or rehearsal, take some time to gently stretch out tired muscles and reflect on what your body might need to get back at it again tomorrow. Tilstra also recommends that dancers avoid preventative icing every night, as this can slow some of the necessary inflammation that helps to repair tissues. You’ll also want to balance out the stress of rebuilding your fitness with extra sleep time, if possible. “Even if you can’t get more sleep, try to have moments of calmness or stillness in your day to calm your nervous system,” Tilstra suggests.
Create a Confidence Resumé
It can be tough to take things slowly when you want to get back to 100 percent ASAP so you can be cast in prime roles for the season. “Dancers do not like to underperform—they have high expectations of themselves,” Ellis says. She suggests writing out what she calls a “confidence resumé.” “Create a list of past accomplishments and strengths, to remind you of what you’re good at and why you do what you do,” she says. “Maybe it’s something that happened last season or compliments you’ve received.” Dancers don’t often brag, but writing down these wins can put you in a positive mindset so you can shape your season from a place of strength, rather than feeling an anxious need to play catch-up before your body’s ready for it.
Pay Attention to Pain
If you notice any sharp or shooting pains, aches around a joint, or pain that doesn’t go away when you’re not dancing, Tilstra recommends pulling back and potentially seeking medical attention. At the start of a new season, she says she tends to see a lot of tendon injuries, like FHL or Achilles tendonitis, as well as lower-leg issues, like shin splints. “If a dancer’s body is not conditioned—for instance if they don’t have enough core and hip strength for jumping—they’re going to be doing more with their lower legs, which means those small muscles are doing too much work,” she says.
Be Patient, and Take Stock
How long it takes you to feel fully back “in shape” depends on a range of factors, from your genetics to your age to what your rest period looked like. But Tilstra says it’s not unusual for it to take a month or so before your body feels like itself again.
In the meantime, rather than comparing herself to her colleagues, Carey likes to focus on just how much her body does for her, and what she can do proactively to keep it feeling strong instead of only addressing problems after she lands in the PT’s office. And when she gets frustrated, she remembers that she’s not alone. “We’re all in the same boat when we come back,” she says. “So you just have to trust that your body will eventually respond in the way that it needs to.”
How to Handle the Extra Soreness
Achy muscles are super-common during these transition periods. In addition to the old standbys of hydrating, massaging, and stretching, here are two other tips to help ease the ouch:
Reach for omega-3s: Some studies support the role of omega-3 fatty acids in reducing inflammation and alleviating muscle discomfort after intense workouts, says registered dietitian nutritionist Rachel Fine. She suggests incorporating omega-3-rich foods like salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and fortified eggs into your meals and snacks.
Embrace gentle movement: Physical therapist Elizabeth Tilstra says that non-strenuous activities, like going for a low-key walk for five to 10 minutes, can get your blood flowing and help you feel better, without further aggravating tired muscles.
Skip the Guilt
“Getting out of shape is not a bad thing during your layoff—that is kind of the point,” says physical therapist Elizabeth Tilstra. Intentionally letting your body rest from dance-specific movements during the off-season can keep you healthier in the long run because it gives your tissues time to recover. “Cross-training and conditioning outside of dance is recommended during layoff, prioritizing building strength in parts of the body that are less utilized in dance with the goal of creating balance across the joints,” says Tilstra. Just start to add in more dance-specific exercise two or three days a week near the end of your layoff to slowly prep your body for that first full week back, she says.
