Tips On Increasing Flexibilty

Dear Spinnakers,

                            I took a flexibility class from Travis Lake who Is A Member of Odyssey Dance not to long ago and he told me that they stretch for a full hour every time they rehearse. Flexibility is one of the most important thing for a dancer to have. Below I will lost some tips on how to increase your flexibility so you can become a better dancer.

                              #1 Always Stretch When Your Body Temperature Is Up. Don't ever stretch cold muscles because it will just be a waste of time. You want your muscles as warm as you can get them before you stretch, so you can get the most out of each stretch. Do any of the following before stretching: Warm your muscles up by taking a nice hot bath or shower, stretch in a room where the temperature is 85 degrees plus, go for a jog, do jumping jacks, or any type of cardio that will get that heart pumping and the muscles moving.
                            #2 Try And Stretch In A Place With No Distractions - You will get the most out of your stretching if you can go to a quiet room with no distractions and just be able to focus on each muscle you are stretching and focus on each breaths you take while you stretch. This helps the oxygen flow to that part of the body which will also increase blod flow which will lead to better results as your are pushing yourself.
                    
                          #3 Always Make Sure You Feel Some Tension While You Are Stretching - If stretching is easy then you are not doing it right. No matter how flexible you are there is always a way to push your muscles even further (use walls or elevated surfaces). When you are done stretching your body should feel exhausted, you should be shaking because you are pushing yourself the entire time. The best way to increase the flexibility while stretching is to take a deep breathe before you do the stretch then slowly exhale while you hold the stretch once the air is all released take another big breathe and as you exhale push yourself even further, repeat one more time so you should do about 3 12 second reps.
                       
                         #4 Drink Plenty Of Water And Keep Moving - After a good stretch make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your muscles free of toxins and keep moving so your muscles dont tighten back up and loose some of the flexibilty you just worked so hard for.