5 Upper Body Stretches for Lower-Register Symphonic Instrumentalists

This article completes a series examining upper body stretches for specific types of performing artists. The grouping of stretches presented in this article is targeted toward musicians who play while seated with their arms more or less at their sides. Previous articles have identified key upper body stretches for marchers/musicians who stand, dancers, and musicians who play while seated with their arms elevated.

3 Upper Body Stretches Dancers Should be Doing

This article continues a series examining upper body stretches for specific types of performing artists. The stretches presented in this article are grouped together for dancers. Previous articles have examined stretches for marching musicians and musicians who play while seated with their arms elevated.

6 Stretches for Instrumentalists

This article continues a series examining upper body stretches for specific types of performing artists. The grouping of stretches presented in this article is targeted toward musicians who play while seated with their arms elevated. Future articles in this series will identify key upper body stretches for dancers and musicians who play with their arms lower than the musicians addressed here.

6 Upper Body Stretches All Marchers Should Be Doing

This article opens a series examining upper body stretches for specific types of performing artists. The grouping of stretches presented in this article is targeted toward musicians who stand when they play and for members of the marching band. Future articles in this series will identify key upper body stretches for dancers and seated musicians.

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.

10 Rules of Stretching

Stretching, both static stretching and dynamic movement, can be very helpful for a variety of reasons, as long as it is done properly. To ensure that you’re correctly performing static stretching to improve overall flexibility in the long-term, here are the 10 rules of stretching.

Static Stretching or Dynamic Movement?

You know that you should warm-up before you stretch, but how do you make sense of all of the conflicting information out there about static and dynamic stretching?

For decades, sports medicine practitioners and researchers have debated the effects of static and dynamic stretching. Unfortunately, it seems that every time new stretching-related research is published, its findings contradict the study that was published before it. The most important thing to remember when perusing the findings of all of these studies is that many of them are examining different outcomes: one study will compare static and dynamic stretching for improvement in flexibility while another study compares the two looking for any changes (improvement or decline) in athletic performance immediately after the stretch. Since studies are examining very specific effects from static and dynamic stretching, it is not always a good idea to compare these results to each other. However, the news media often does just that when they are reporting the most recent study’s findings, which leads to confusion.

Warm-up Before You Stretch

Most people know that you should warm-up before physical activity. But what you might not know is why. Keeping in mind that using a heating pad is not a substitute for warming up, a proper warm-up does not have to take very long or use much space or equipment for most performers, especially dancers. Dance classes are designed to start out with a warm-up-like component and gradually increase in difficulty as the class progresses. However, time and space are often limited in dance class, so dancers may not be able to perform a complete warm-up solely by taking class. Taking yourself through your own personal warm-up routine allows you to make sure that you’re ready to start physical activity, regardless of what that activity is and where you are.

Using a Heating Pad is not the same thing as Warming Up

Many performers – most often, they’re dancers (sorry, guys, but it’s true) – think that if they use a heating pad for a few minutes before a workout, rehearsal, or a performance they will be properly warmed up and ready for physical activity.  While using a heating pad can help achieve some of the things you need from a proper warm-up, it can’t do all of them.

When sports medicine professionals, like athletic trainers, tell you to warm up before you start a workout or a rehearsal, they don’t mean that they want a part of your body (say, your hamstring) to feel hot to the touch.  What they mean is they want you to go through the process of physiologically warming up.  Basically, they want you to do several minutes’ worth of light exercising that elevates your heart rate.

Why?