With the hamstring muscle being used in the majority of ballet movements, it's no surprise that it is one of the most common injuries for ballet dancers. While a minor hamstring injury may only cause some discomfort, major hamstring injuries can sideline you for several weeks. Prior injuries also increase the risk of a subsequent injury, so prevention is vitally important.
Instructions
1. Know what causes them. According to Herman Ruiz, MD, the major causes of hamstring injuries are lack of warm-up, poor flexibility, muscle fatigue and a hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio of less that 50%. Brad Walker of the Stretching Institute says that the most common cause of hamstring injury is an imbalance between quadriceps and hamstring muscles. When the quadriceps muscle is much stronger that the hamstrings, it can pull on the hamstring muscle and cause injuries.
2. Be aware that proper stretching and warm-up is key to preventing injury. The Stretching Institute has written a very helpful article on warm-up and stretching before training. Visit the link "Warm Up and Stretching" in the Resources section to read it.
3. Increase flexibility--it's also an important part of preventing injury. Many dancers have turned to activities such as Yoga and Pilates to help increase their flexibility and improve their core strength. Devote some time each day to focus on improving your body's overall flexibility.
4. Know that strength training can also help prevent injuries. Visit the link "Hamstring Exercises from Peak Performance" in Resources for some helpful tips and some exercises to do to strengthen your hamstrings.
5. Do not just "dance it out" if you have injured your hamstring. Taking the time out to treat a minor injury can prevent a much more serious one. See related articles for treat dance injuries.
