Strong ankles, balance, posture, and strength are very important to becoming a good dancer.  There are several exercises geared toward dancers that will help improve strength, balance, and posture.  For example, pilates and yoga are excellent forms of cross training for dancers as they focus on muscle tone, control, and flexibility.

To strengthen your core try this bicycle crunch exercise, Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. Put your hands beside your head. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a bicycle pedal motion. Touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Breath evenly throughout the exercise.

Another great exercise for ab strenghtening is the plank.  Here's how to do it right. Begin in the plank position with your forearms and toes on the floor. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending. Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds to start. Over time work up to 30, 45 or 60 seconds.

The AeroMat Balance Block is another great safe and effective training device to improve balance, posture, strength and coordination. The shiny vinyl coated surface is durable and easy to clean.

The mat will help improve your balance, control, and posture.  This mat is an excellent device to use to prevent injury and improve ankle strength.  The mat is available through product store.

Visit vailfoot.com for all of your ankle and footcare needs.

Red Hot Warm Ups

Flexible bodies are one of the many factors that makes dance beautiful to watch.  Flexibility is very important to every dancer, and flexibility is achieved by stretching.  There are many benefits to stretching including pain relief, increased energy levels and flexibility, increased range of motion, increased circulation, relaxation, stress relief, and improved posture just to name a few.  In terms of dancing,  stretching increases your ability to do certain things.  For example, stretching out a tight calf muscle and Achilles tendon can greatly improve the depth of your plie and in turn help your jumps and all around quality of movement.  Stretching out your back allows for a dancer to improve on their arabesque and port de bras.  Releasing tight hamstrings can improve battements and grande allegro. 

Pro Stretch - Double

The ProStretch conditioning and stretching devices isolates the lower leg muscles, tendons and ligaments for the ultimate deep stretch.  A favorite of physical therapists, trainers and pro athletes -- just look closely on the sideline of an NBA, NFL, or NHL game and you're likely to see a ProStretch. That's because they're proven to stretch the leg muscles easier and far more effectively than conventional methods. Exercise both legs simultaneously to improve flexibility and alleviate injuries to the lower extremities.  This device is perfect to throw in your dance bag and use to stretch out your muscles before and after class. Available at the product store on vailfoot.com.

As you can see, there are several benefits to stretching and it is vital to becoming a better dancer.  Be sure to warm up properly before and after exercises and do only what your body can handle.  Ease into the stretch and you will eventually get to your goal flexibility. 

Funky Feet

Every dancer deals with sweat, some more than others.  Sweating is totally natural and ensures a good workout during dance class.  Although good and healthy, sweat stinks- especially on a dancers foot.
Foot Odor is due to a combination of footwear and the fact that feet have a very large amount of sweat glands.

Sweat is basically composed of just salt and water, so it does not have a smell of its own. The smell occurs when bacteria that normally live on the skin eats the sweat and excretes waste that has a strong odor.

So why doesn't the rest of the body produce such disgusting scents? Because the sweat has a chance to escape into the air or evaporate, unlike feet that are enclosed in tights, tap shoes, pointe shoes, or jazz shoes where sweat accumulates.

Normal sweating is caused by exercise, hot weather, stress, anxiety, and excess clothing.  Excessive sweating can be caused by

Heredity: Some people inherit a tendency to sweat excessively, especially on their palms and the soles of their feet.


Diet : Spicy foods, hot beverages, and beverages that contain alcohol and caffeine can increase sweating.

Certain medications:  Some examples include some medications to treat mental disorders, morphine, and thyroid medicine.

For dancers who exercise regularly and sweat heavily, it is perfectly normal!  To reduce the stink of your feet and gain more friends at dance class, try simple hygiene to reduce the smell of your feet as well as Neat Feat® Cool Foot Spray contains antiperspirant and deodorant. Cooling menthol provides immediate relief and has a light fresh fragrance.  The Cool Foot Spray can be used as often as desired, a perfect item to keep stored in your dance bag.  Click Here to Purchase!

Visit Vailfoot.com for all of your foot care needs.

Achilles Tendonitis

Dancing is an excellent way to get some exercise, be creative, and meet new people.  With the start of school comes the start of dance classes.  For serious dancers this can mean returning to a very rigorous schedule, some dancers partake in five to six classes a week! Because of this, dancers are especially prone to injury.  Dance injuries commonly involve the foot and ankle.  No dancers want to be off the dance floor due to an injury, especially at the beginning of the year.  One way to ensure you are a happy and healthy dancer all year round is through education and listening to your body. Warm up thoroughly before classes, drink lots of water, eat a nutritious diet, and pay attention to your instructor.  If something hurts, stop and if it continues to hurt, see a doctor!

One very common injury in dancer is Achilles Tendinitis.  Achilles Tendinitis is defined as a condition of irritation and inflammation in the large tendon in the back of the ankle.  Those who suffer from it experience pain in the back of the ankle, especially after being inactive, and activities that involve pushing of with the ankle like running and jumping. Achilles Tendinitis is often caused in dancers from jumping and not landing with the whole foot on the ground every time.  If Achilles Tendinitis is not treated in a timely manner, in can become a chronic problem and cause degenerative changes in the tendon, and can even contribute to an Achilles Tendon rupture.

If you are experiencing pain from Achillis Tendinitis, schedule an appointment with your doctor.  A great way to relieve the pain is with Flexstat topical pain reliever available through vailfoot.com.  Tripod Labs Flexstat is a deep penetrating topical pain reliever that provides quick, effective relief from muscle and joint pain due to sprains, strains, bruises and arthritis. By utilizing a powerful blend of traditional medicines with the purest herbal extracts such as DMSO, MSM, Eucalyptus Oil, Vitamin E and Menthol, Flexstat provides a superior solution for treating foot and ankle pain. This lightly scented formula is proven to relieve pain, dramatically reduce inflammation, and improve joint movement.

Ballet and Bunions

Dancing can be very tough on your body, especially the feet.  As a matter of fact, fifteen to twenty percent of dance injuries involve the foot. Ballet dancers are especially prone to foot related injuries due to pointe work.  Serious ballet dancers may be on pointe for up to four house a day.  Although beautiful, pointework places a significant strain on the feet and legs.  The effected areas include the Achilles tendon, toenails, and metatarsals. Bunions are very common  problem in dancers who have been on pointe for several years.

"A bunion is a bony protrusion on the edge of the big toe joint which develops when the big toe is forced to angle inwards towards the other toes. It may or may not produce pain and swelling. Some bunions (or hallux valgus) are hereditary however dancers often develop them due to the constant pressure of the tight fitting toe shoe against their feet, and the increase stress on the medial column as a dancer attempts to achieve more ‘turn-out’. The constant friction of a tight shoe can exacerbate bunion pain. Along with anti-inflammatory medication a gel-like spacer between the toes can help. The pointe shoe should be checked to make sure the toe box area matches the shape of the foot and is not too narrow. Bunion surgery is not recommended during a dancer’s career, as it can severely reduce range of motion."

Bunions can be prevented by using toe-spacers which can be purchased where you find pointe shoes and most major dance stores.  Another doctor recommended product are foam spacers which can be purchased at vailfoot.com.  Bunions do not have to be a fact of life for ballerinas!  If you are experiencing any other foot troubles or bunion troubles call your doctor today.

Blister Blunders

Everyone loves getting new shoes.  Shopping is fun and replacing a pair of worn out dance shoes can make your feet feel brand new.  However, the breaking in processing can put a damper on the fun. New dance shoes can be a pain, especially if you are prone to blisters.  Blisters are commonly caused by friction and this can be attributed to ill-fitting new shoes.  To avoid painful blisters follow these simple shoe purchasing tips.

• Meaure your feet once or twice annually.  Be sure to measure length and width.
• Feet swell throughout the day, so shop for your shoes in the afternoonon.
• Bring along or wear the socks or tights you will be wearing with your shoes.  A thicker or thinner sock can cause the shoe to rub or slip.
• Try on different sizes for each foot. Feet are not always the same size, so don't try to purchase the smaller size for the larger foot or the larger size for the smaller foot, especially when it comes to pointe shoes.

Here are some tips on how to care for common blisters on the feet.  If you have diabetes or poor circulation consult your doctor before attempting the self-care tips.

• If the blister is not causing too much pain, do not puncture it. The skin provides a natural barrier from bacteria.
• Cover the blister with a band-aid.
• Contact your doctor if you notice pus, redness, increasing pain or warm skin.
• Visit our product store for blister preventing products like the blister prevention patches.

For more information about your footcare needs visit Vailfoot.com

Shin Splints

As summer camps and intensives come to a close, some dancers find themselves nursing aching bodies.  A fellow dancer returned from dance team camp complaining of terrible aching shins.  The young girl was suffering from shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome.  The pain is attributed to excess stress on the shin bone and the connective tissue that attach the muscle to the bone.

Shin splints can be caused from running on a slanted surface, running in worn shoes, sports that stop and start frequently, and training too fast, too hard, and too long. 

Symptoms of shin splints include soreness or pain along the inner part of the lower leg and mild swelling.  The symptoms may stop after exercise is concluded or be continuous. See your doctor if severe pain in the shins follows an accident, shins are hot and inflamed, swelling worsens, or pain persists during rest. 

While my dancing friend with aching shins waits for her doctor's appointment she can treat her symptoms with rest, ice, a compression bandage, elevation, and proper footwear.  Also, she can visit vailfoot.com and order Myo-Med Pain Relief Creamto ease the pain of her shin splints.