Injuries are a “necessary evil” in the sports field which concerns every person whether he is a professional or an amateur athlete. Unfortunately, we cannot eliminate the possibilities of getting injured. However, there are some basic nine (9) rules which can be followed in order avoid injuries in Pole Dancing and to minimize the chances of getting hurt.
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Basic nine (9) rules of how to avoid injuries in Pole Dancing
Warm-Up
Training must always start with a good warm-up, by doing the proper stretching drills. The athlete must remain warm until the end of his training by avoiding long pauses.
Getting ready
The athlete must do exercises which aim to strengthen and make the body more flexible. The build-up of aerobic and anaerobic stamina is necessary in order to endure heavy weights on the pole and perform well. Moreover, the athlete must be trained to know all about the suitable drills before he performs a move.
Increasing training time
The athlete must gradually add more training hours as well as gradually enhance the degree of difficulty so as to avoid possible injuries or fatigue caused by excessive training.
The proper way of training
By using the right technique, we minimize the chances of severe or chronic injuries as well as the chances of falling off the pole. A wrong technique burdens the wrong parts of the body with pressure and, as a result, they get injured.
Also, a wrong technique may lead to an unstable grip of the pole and consequently to a fall.
Protective measures
It is imperative that athletes use protective measures. For example, an experienced spotter should be present in order to support and guide the athlete when he is not familiar with a move. Also, the use of a soft crash mat is needed. Certain athletes tend to sweat more than usual. Therefore, special gloves, toe pads or grip wax are necessary. (Find them here)
Recovery treatment
It makes recovery quicker and it removes toxins from the muscles (e.g. lactic acid). It restores body temperature and the function of internal organs. By following these rules, our body is prepared for a future training.
The recovery helps remove the substances responsible for the body’s fatigue and in particular lactic acid, which is responsible for the delayed muscle pain that is felt after intense exercise. This procedure restores all the functions of our body and resets it to pre-exercise levels. Body temperature and function of internal organs return also to normal levels. We can observe that the warm-up and recovery activities are inextricably linked with the main workout, so our bodies are able to train directly and safely.
Relaxation, diet and hydration
It is well known that relaxation helps our body function normally. According to recent research, an athlete must sleep about 8-9 hours depending on how strenuous the training is. The nutrients received, help the muscular system to recover from any minor ruptures which may occur during the training process in less time. They are also needed for its normal development. The body must be hydrated regularly (about 240ml every 15-20 min.) so as to avoid dehydration. Those conditions will ensure us the best performance.
Stretching exercises
Lots of athletes are eager to become experts in less time than usual. Consequently, they might resort to unorthodox ways of training to achieve that. For example, they do intensive stretching exercises or they ask non-experts to apply pressure on them. As a result, the pressure is more than what is needed and injuries happen. Stretching should be instructed by a professional. Alternatively, the athlete must do those exercises only after proper training. The time and type of stretching depend on many factors. However, pressure should be applied gradually, as long as it is tolerable. The athlete should have a pleasant feeling during this process with feeling pain. Deep and slow breathing is important for a complete relaxation. In case there is an instructor, he should have a good rapport with the athlete so that the rules are followed accordingly in safety.
Menstruation
During this period, women is better to avoid body movement which brings the uterus in a reverse position (higher than the place of the heart) because gravity turns the blood flow to the opposite direction. This might cause complications.
To sum up, every athlete or beginner in pole dance should have an annual appointment with a cardiologist or a pathologist in order to get an official approval. Also, in cases of chronic diseases, the person ought to get advice from an expert. Keep in mind that there are health conditions which must be strictly monitored and, in some cases, render pole dancing or aerial acrobatics impossible to take up.
[bctt tweet=”Every Pole Dancer or Aerialist should have an annual appointment with a cardiologist or a pathologist” username=””]Generally speaking, it is advisable that every athlete should inform his coach or the authorized medical team of his medical history, health status, any forms of allergy or chronic diseases mentioned above.
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