Get Up and Go: Tips for Warming Up

This fall I went back to school with educator Jennie Manzo and the grade 11 and 12 dance students at Centennial CVI. Once school photos were out of the way, we could focus on getting ready for the dance day! Here’s what we learned about warming up.

WHY WARM UP?

A warm up prepares your body and mind for the activity that you are about to participate in. Dance is about transitions! A warm up also prevents pain and injury. Just like candle wax melts when you add heat, or clay gets more supple when you kneed it in your hands, your muscles are more receptive to stretch when you are warm. Fluids also help make your connective tissue more flexible, so grab your water bottle and get moving!

WHEN DO I NEED A WARM UP?

Warm up before any class, rehearsal, performance or competition… maybe even more than once in the same day! The pros at Jorgen Dance take class in Toronto before they commute to Guelph, warm up again before spacing rehearsal, and once more before show time.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT MY BODY NEEDS?

Use your body of knowledge. You may or may not know your anatomy, but you know the areas that challenge you. Work on those elements before class, or communicate with your teacher so they can add them to your class routine.
Work backwards. Think about the movements or skills that you are learning in your class or choreography and break it down in your warm up.
Channel your inner manual therapist. Your hands are helpful warm up tools because they generate the most heat and are available any time, any where! Balls, sticks, rollers, skipping ropes are also compact and helpful warm up tools.
Ask a physiotherapist. If you have a great warm up but you still feel sore during class, then ask your physiotherapist to help you identify if anything is missing in your warm up routine.
Layer your clothing. Start with layers, and shed them as you need to.
Make a warm up playlist. Choose songs that match your warm up speed, intensity and time.

HOW DO I DESIGN A WARM UP?

There are many ways! It might help to follow the RAMP protocol, developed by Ian Jefferies in 2018.

R is for RAISE

Raise your blood flow, body temperature, energy level, heart rate, metabolism, and respiratory rate.
Try walking, running, skipping rope, cycling, stairs, rolling, etc.
A is for ACTIVATE
Include the major muscle groups you need for dance such as your core, gluts, hips, quads, hams, calves, and feet.
Try squat to rise/balance, walking lunges, open and close the gate, inchworms, crabwalks, etc.
M is for MOBILIZE
Include dynamic stretches for the major muscle groups you need for dance.
Try roll downs, rolling on the floor (curving and extending your spine and limbs), sun salutations, walk the dogs, side bends, ankle circles.
P is for POTENTIATE (or PRACTICE)
Include elements that wake up your neuromuscular system such as balance and proprioception (body awareness).
Try skills that challenge your coordination such as balances, turns or jumps. To heighten the mind-body connection try eyes open or closed, or try mental practice.

REFERENCES

1. IADMS. The Importance of a good warm up: Are you ready to start dancing?

2. Mayall, Erica. RAMP Up Your Dance Warm Up. The Dance Physio Podcast.

3. Wilmerding and Krasnow. Dancer Wellness. “Warm Up” in Chapter 3: Cross-training and Conditioning. Human Kinetics. 2017.

“A muscle is like a car. If you want it to run well early in the morning, you have to warm it up.” - Florence Griffith Joyner