How Ergonomic Principles Can Improve Your Playing

Since the 1950s, the word “ergonomics” has been used to describe the study of humans and their interaction with objects in their lives. This field has focused on improving the design, manufacture, and arrangement of objects within a given (work) environment to make these locations and the actions performed in them safe, healthy, and comfortable. Instrumentalists can benefit greatly from modern ergonomics, as musical performance requires a very high amount of repetitive motions that can lead to injury.

What to Look for on a Nutrition Label

Eating nutritious, well-balanced meals is important because the food you eat is your body’s fuel. Giving your body what it needs can keep you healthy, help you achieve or maintain your target weight, improve your physical and mental performance, and improve your mood. But eating well can be very challenging. There are many factors that can get in the way – cost, time available for meal preparation, food allergies and preferences, daily schedule – but one factor that prevents many people from eating as well as they’d like is a lack of awareness of how to use a food item’s nutrition label and ingredients list to help make informed decisions.

Interpreting nutrition labels and ingredients lists can be intimidating, but it is incredibly helpful when comparing similar foods or identifying the nutritional value of your current diet.

Four Ways You Can Improve Your Health and Performance by Sleeping

Did you know that sleep is a critical component to maintaining your weight, staying healthy, and preventing injuries? Not only does sleep help you avoid overuse or fatigue-related injuries, it also gives your performance a boost by allowing your body to recover more completely from the previous day’s activities. There are many factors that go into getting enough and the right kind of sleep.

Fitness in Dance

Despite the fact that dance requires just as much athletic ability and effort as most sports, dancers are not as physically fit or healthy as most athletes of a comparable age and skill level. (This is even supported by dance research.) For the most part, dancers have a lower level of fitness because they do not overtax their system (essential for building muscle and improving cardiovascular conditioning) during class and most rehearsals. A dancer who does not exercise outside of class and rehearsal will not be adequately prepared for the physical demands of performance.

My 6 Favorite Stretches for Dancers

Stretching can be used to achieve several different goals and at various points in a workout. As you read through the following list, remember to always follow the 10 Rules of Stretching! Here are my 6 favorite stretches for dancers.

Landing with Proper Mechanics

If you are a dancer, you have most likely heard at least one of your teachers say, “Roll through your feet!” or “Get your heels down when you land!” These instructions are given to help dancers land with proper mechanics and reduce their risk of injury while maintaining their jump height during a combination of successive jumps.