Fitness, Health and Wellness

If you want to get the most out of your gym visit or training to increase VO2 Max, in the shortest amount of time, interval training may be the way to go. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has gained popularity in recent years due to its efficiency, accessibility, and numerous health benefits.  Sprint Interval Training (SIT) has also become popular among fitness enthusiasts as a supplement to their workout routines. While SIT is similar to HIIT in many ways, it is more intense, making it a great workout for those looking to challenge themselves, save time, or simply change things up.  Want to know more? Learn more about how Spryng can help you! Subscribe for the latest updates and get 10% OFF. What Is Sprint Interval Training?  A Sprint Interval Training workout is a type of exercise that focuses on increasing your heart rate and "maxing out" each movement until you are completely exhausted. Simply put, a SIT workout may include the same exercises as an HIIT workout, but the intensity is higher and the rest periods are shorter in a SIT workout. SIT workouts frequently "intensify" exercises more than HIIT workouts and include moves like jump squats to ensure maximum effort.    Benefits Of Sprint Interval Training  If you're still on the fence about incorporating sprint intervals into your workout, consider the following advantages:  Lean & Sustainable Body Composition: The true power of Sprint Interval Training for weight loss is said to be in its ability to build muscle, as this increases your total net calorie burn over the course of a day, every day. Interval workouts are the only way to achieve this, aside from weight training. Since endurance-style cardio is catabolic, it causes muscle loss over time. Furthermore, it improves efficiency, which is the exact opposite of what you need to do if you want to stay lean without eating fewer calories as your metabolic rate decreases.   Fix Bad Metabolism & Prevent Diabetes: Intervals have been shown to improve insulin health in the young, old, overweight, diabetic, and people with metabolic syndrome, according to studies (i). Muscle mass increases the muscles' receptivity to insulin as well as their demand for glucose. By improving fat burning and overall hormonal balance in the body, you can also reduce inflammation and contribute to a better body composition.   Less Risk Of Tripping & Falling: Sprint Interval Training exercises improve power and coordination by priming the nervous system so that you react faster and have a quicker first step. They also strengthen the fast-twitch muscles, which are the ones most linked to preventing falls in the elderly. Another reason interval training is preferred over cardio-style exercise is that coordination and mobility become increasingly important as we age.  Improve Mental Toughness & Motivation: Interval training is not for the faint of heart. These workouts are excruciating. Some days are more challenging than others. When you are in the middle of a sprint workout, you will have doubts. It's all in your head if you're in pain and unsure about your ability to complete your workout. You must not surrender. You will gain confidence in your physical and emotional abilities by pushing through the discomfort. You will accomplish something that only a few others can.  Sprint Interval Training Plan  Are you ready to begin? Experiment with the SIT workouts listed below to see what works best for you. Feel free to change up the movements and interval lengths as needed, and always warm up and stretch your muscles before and after the workout.  Minutes 1 – 2: Burpees and jump squats are two exercises that you can do. Complete each exercise for 30 seconds, then take a 5-second break between sets.  Minutes 2 – 4: Push-ups, sprints on the spot and mountain climbers. Complete each exercise for 30 seconds, then take a 5-second break between sets.  Minutes 4 – 6: Bear crawls followed by high-knee running in place. Finish each exercise for one minute before moving on to the next.  Minutes 6 – 8: Burpees, sprints on the spot and jump squats. Complete each exercise for 30 seconds and rest for 5 seconds between each set.  Minutes 8 – 10: Push-ups and mountain climbers. Complete each exercise for 30 seconds, then take a 5-second break between sets.  Recovery For Sprinters  Post run muscle recovery allows you to regain mental and physical freshness after a period of intense training while also assisting your body in adapting to the training stress.  Hydration: Drink plenty of water after your workout to rehydrate your body. Your recovery may be slowed if you are dehydrated. To help you recover, drink chocolate milk or your favorite beverage.  Post Training Cool Down: Take a 5-minute cool down after your workout because your blood vessels in your legs expand during a workout. The blood simply pools in the same spot when you come to a complete stop. This can cause dizziness and impair your body's ability to transport fresh blood and metabolic waste and a post run recovery routine will help prevent this.   Consume Protein After Training: Protein is high in branched chain amino acids, which help to prevent exercise-induced sore calves after running and promote healthy muscular growth and repair. This supplement is high in high protein foods like beef, chicken, eggs, nuts, and legumes. Start your cool down by eating high protein snacks after your race or training session is completed.  Rest: Rest is necessary for muscle repair and sprint recovery, both of which aid in the body's overall healing. When you sleep, muscle-building hormones are released, which are important for muscle repair during training and leg recovery after running.  Use A Muscle Recovery Tool: A muscle recovery tool like Spryng active compression wraps, for example, can be applied immediately after exercise to reduce inflammation and swelling. This calf compression wrap can also be used as part of your regular nighttime routine to improve blood circulation in your feet and legs, reducing muscle pain and soreness after a long day. Spryng active massage compression devices take only 15 minutes out of your day treatment for leg pain after running by improving blood circulation in your legs and feet.      References:  Twelve Benefits of Sprint Interval Training — Poliquin Group (poliquinstore.com)  High Intensity Interval vs. Sprint Interval Training | Planet Fitness 

With another year having unfolded, most of us are making our way towards achieving our new years' resolutions, and among them are most likely a handful of new year fitness goals. Yet, it's common knowledge that health and fitness-related goals for the new year are the ones that people give up the earliest. This beginner's guide to fitness will help you prioritize your health and encourage you to stay focused on your workout goals for the new year. Want to know more? Learn more about how Spryng can help you! Subscribe for the latest updates and get 10% OFF. Step 1 - Set achievable goals When it comes to setting new year fitness goals, it should start with the goal itself. Ensure you set a realistic goal that you can achieve. That means, aim high, but not too high, where you change your entire body composition within three months of your routine. Instead, take stock of where you are at present and gradually improve your strength and fitness through regular training measures.  It's common to face adversity in the form of boredom, frustration and lack of motivation on the road to your fitness goal. This is why it's essential to clarify why you are trying to achieve this goal. Set goals that are small, and then build your momentum as you go. The backbone of goal setting lies in habit formation. Once you instill a habit of working out daily, you won't be giving it up so easily.  Step 2 - Have a detailed action plan First and foremost, define your goal. Is it to gain muscle, lose some weight, tone or increase stamina. Defining your goals helps to come up with the right action plan. For instance, if your goal is to lose weight and you haven't been exercising regularly, don't aim for weight lifting or extreme workout measures in your first week. Begin with some low-intensity cardio to get your body moving. Walk for at least 30 minutes a day and build a routine around it so that you can be disciplined with your workout regimen. Try working out at the same time every day. This will help to establish a routine and thereby help with habit formation.  Step 3 - Make it enjoyable Working out shouldn't feel like a chore. To make working out a long-lasting habit, it is important to make it enjoyable. It should be a part of your day that you look forward to even when you're not having the best of days. So, mix things up by adding a variety of activities into your workout routine. This way, it won't feel redundant and boring. If you have a favorite sport, you can add that to your schedule so that you engage in the sport twice a week in place of the regular workout. What's important is to find a way to make it fun. Step 4 - Incorporate adequate recovery measures  Muscle recovery after workouts is as important as setting a fail-proof workout regimen for the new year. To ensure your new year fitness goal stays within reach, you must take measures to help your body recover fast. Not only will this help prevent injuries, but it will also keep you from skipping workouts due to muscle pain and soreness. Hydrate Hydration is essential after breaking a sweat. To improve muscle flexibility, build strength, and prevent muscle cramping and soreness, ensure to replenish your fluid levels. Incorporate electrolytes such as potassium and sodium into your post-workout liquids to speed up muscle recovery. Cooldown Cooling down is one of the best ways to recover from a workout as it enables your heart rate to return to normal gradually. It also helps to encourage blood circulation and promote leg muscle recovery by preventing soreness and relieving the built-up stress in your muscles. Consider incorporating a 5 to 10-minute stretching session to help your muscles cool down faster after your workout. Take a rest day from working out If you're constantly wondering, 'why do my legs hurt when I exercise' you may be overdoing it. If you engage in strenuous workouts, it's essential to allow your body to recover and rejuvenate itself. This can take place only during the periods of rest that you provide your body. Your muscles require adequate rest in order to repair themselves after the wear and tear that takes place during a workout. Therefore, to reap all the benefits of your workouts, ensure you provide your body with adequate rest and sleep.  Compression wraps  Compression wraps are a great way to encourage post-workout recovery. The SPRYNG calf compression wraps are great at increasing blood circulation in your legs, which helps to speed up your recovery process. These portable and untethered calf muscle recovery tools require only 15 minutes of wear time to give your sore and achy legs the relief they need post-workout. If you consistently experience pain and soreness after exercise, read our guide on alleviating post-workout muscle soreness here.     

Snowboarding is an Olympic sport that is quickly gaining popularity as a global trend. A record number of people have tried the sport. It's one of those activities that anyone, regardless of age or experience level, can enjoy. All you need is a strong desire to learn and a good set of snowboarding equipment and a few exercises to prepare for snowboarding just so that you don’t suffer from leg pains after snowboarding, knee pain from snowboarding, or snowboarding leg cramps. Snowboarding, which combines balance and speed above the white snow, is a sport that will pump adrenaline through your veins.  Want to know more? Learn more about how Spryng can help you! Subscribe for the latest updates and get 10% OFF. Snowboarding's Origins in History   Modern snowboarding as we know it began in 1966 with the invention of a toy called a snurfer by Sherman Poppen, a Michigan-based engineer. Snowboarding took on its modern shape in the 1970s and began to gain popularity around the world  Beginner's Advice  If you're new to snowboarding, you should start with the fundamentals.  Make sure you have all of the snowboarding equipment you'll need to ride safely down the slope. It is recommended to purchase basic and inexpensive equipment for this purpose so that if anything goes wrong while learning or falling while boarding, there will be no financial loss however that does not mean that you compromise on quality in terms of gear.  Wear bright clothing if you're going down any kind of slope so that other people on the slopes can see you. It will be difficult for others to notice you if you wear dark clothing while boarding; therefore, wearing light-colored clothing will make things easier for you!  Snowboarding necessitates physical strength because you must run up the slope every time you fall. It also necessitates a high level of concentration because it is easy for people to lose their balance and fall when riding at high speeds. For beginners who start at the base of the mountain on smaller hills, running up the mountain is part of the process. However, a lot of beginners head up the ski lift to the top and take the green runs down. It is also recommended to have a selection of muscle recovery tools on standby for relief from any sort of soreness.   Snowboarding can be done in a variety of locations that provide suitable boarding conditions, such as fresh powdery snow or hard-packed ice. It is up to the rider to determine which condition they seek when riding, but experienced riders warn that jumping on hard-packed ice with a regular deck can be deadly!  5 Exercises Every Snowboarder Should Do  If you’ve often wondered how to improve snowboarding, it is important to keep your body in peak conditions as Snowboarding, much like other sports, is physically demanding. Here are a few quick snowboarding conditioning workout suggestions to keep your legs in shape for groomed runs or deep powder.    Standing Single Leg Bends: When you snowboard, your legs are your workhorse, so getting a good leg workout is crucial. For example, if you want to exercise your right leg, lift your left leg in the air and slowly bend your right knee before returning to the starting position.  The Basic Plank: You might ask yourself how to improve snowbaording turns. Since snowboarding involves a lot of your core muscles for balance during your turns, you want to maintain that strength for the entire snow season.  Tricep Dips: You're going to fall a lot as a novice or beginner snowboarder. When you fall, you'll be relying on your triceps muscles to help you get back to your feet. A triceps dip is the simplest way to work this area of your arm.   Hip Rolls: Knee control is greatly aided by hip strength. This exercise aims to reduce the likelihood of knee pain by strengthening the hip muscles, which include the glutes. It's also ket when learning to traverse downhill on a snowboard  Walking Lunge with Rotation Exercise: This exercise will warm up your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and abdominals. It prepares your body to move in all directions at once, reducing the risk of common snowboarding injuries.  Common Injuries While Snowboarding  Any sport can result in an injury. Snowboarding, on the other hand, is considered an extreme sport, which increases the risk of injury. Broken wrists, elbow injuries, knee injuries, concussions, and other orthopedic injuries can occur while snowboarding. Although there are more injuries associated with snowboarding, the impact of snow skiing injuries can be far more severe.   Sprains: After falling off their board and landing awkwardly, snowboarders frequently sprain their ankles or wrists. A sprain can also occur if the boots are not secured properly.  Fractures: Snowboarders frequently suffer wrist fractures after landing and putting all of their weight on the bone, causing it to break.  Dislocations: A fall on an outstretched hand or a twisting fall are the most common causes of shoulder dislocations.  Contusions: Falling on hard snow or icy patches can cause bruising deep within the tissue or even the bone.    Knee Injuries: These are common among snowboarders as a result of the impact of landing after jumps or falling while twisting.  Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is muscle pain that occurs after a session of snowboarding and it usually takes 24-48 hours to subside. The pain was previously thought to be caused by lactic acid build-up however it is caused by small muscle tears that heal after a workout, according to research.  For more information and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness treatment, be sure to check out our blog article on DOMS by clicking here: A Guide to DOMS: Definition, Causes, Recovery and Prevention – SPRYNG (spryngme.com)  Recovery After Snowboarding  After a long day of shredding snow, there are a few things you can do to make the next day a little more comfortable for your muscles.   Apply Ice: Ice should be applied at regular intervals throughout the day and night to reduce muscle inflammation. Replace the ice with a hot water bottle or a soak in a hot bath after a day or two.  Stretch & Massage: Stretching your legs and muscles, as well as gently massaging the affected areas, will help you relax and feel better, but it will not completely relieve the pain you will experience.  Keep Yourself Hydrated: Drinking electrolyte-rich, low-sugar sports drinks with no caffeine will help. Your muscles may be sore from an electrolyte imbalance if you did not drink enough water while snowboarding. Sports drinks keep you hydrated while you're snowboarding and help you rehydrate afterward, which can help with muscle soreness.  Calf Muscle Recovery Tool: After snowboarding you will experience soreness in your legs particualrly your calves as that is where the pressure in while snowboarding and they are also the muscles you will be using often as you shift your weight to turn while in session. An active calf compression wrap like SPRYNG is a fantastic way to relieve the soreness in your calves. SPRYNG improves blood circulation to the entire lower body and greatly reduces leg pain after snowboarding by reducing blood pooling in the legs. Click here to learn more about SPRYNG and its advantages: https://spryngme.com/pages/the-science-of-spryng    Foam Rollers: Foam rolling is thought to help with muscle tiredness and pain, as well as enhancing physical performance. It also aids in the prevention of stiffness, which minimizes the risk of injury, enhances joint mobility, and allows muscles to relax.   For more quick tips and trick on efficient recovery after snowboarding, be sure to click here: Leg Pain and Recovery - A Snowboarder’s Guide – SPRYNG (spryngme.com)   Snowboarding is supposed to be enjoyable, so make the most of it. While the first few days will be challenging and frustrating, stick with your practice. You will eventually get there with time and you'll never look back once you get hooked!    References:  https://snowgaper.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-snowboarding/  5 Exercises Every Snowboarder Should Do | ACTIVE  How to Train for Snowboarding | REI Co-op  5 Tips To Remember To Relieve Muscle Soreness After Skiing | Skiing And Snowboarding (wordpress.com)   

Heading on a ski holiday is something to look forward to during winter break. Whether you’re a beginner skiier, or a more experienced one, the thrill of hitting the slopes would keep you on edge. Yet as a beginner, the thought of taking on the sport for the first time without any knowledge of it may feel intimidating. How can you be adequately prepared for this active sport so you wouldn't have to experience sore legs from skiing for days after your vacation? This beginner’s guide to skiing has all the essential skiing tips you need to make the most of your holiday.  How do you prepare for a day of skiing? While you can dive in and take the plunge on the slopes and see how it goes, it is best to have a bit of preparation if you want to make it a memorable experience. Knowing what to take with you, being physically ready, and choosing the right equipment will help you plan ahead and set you up for success. Plan to enroll in a few ski lessons and ensure your body is ready to take on some strenuous workouts before your trip. Be aware that it is common to experience some sore calves after skiing. As skiing is a sport that puts strain on your muscles, be ready to experience a degree of DOMS after skiing.  Yet, you can minimize your skiing recovery time with the right techniques and preparations. Using a recovery tool can help you get rid of muscle soreness post skiing. For more information on how to get rid of muscle soreness, visit here. Want to know more? Learn more about how Spryng can help you! Subscribe for the latest updates and get 10% OFF. What to wear for skiing? Given that you're going to spend a substantial amount of time out in the cold make sure you get the right gear. Having cold and wet fingers and toes would indeed be an uncomfortable occasion, so make sure you're wearing protective gloves and properly fitted footwear and snow ready footwear. Carry some extra clothes with you in case you need a change and a few warm layers to keep you cosy after a long day out in the snow. Make sure that what you wear on the slopes are made of materials that do not soak up moisture. Adorn some insulating layers that will keep you warm as you sit out in the cold or wait on the chairlift with the cool breeze blowing through. How to improve your skiing? If you're a beginner on a ski holiday and wondering how to improve your ski technique, it is highly recommended that you sign up for a ski lesson that will save you a tonne of time on figuring it out on your own. Enroll in private lessons or an introductory group lesson so you can learn the basics and get used to wearing the skis while balancing yourself. From putting on your skis to learning how to upslope, slide slip and snowplough, are some of the initial techniques you need to grasp. Having an expert guide you on the fundamentals can ensure you grasp the proper technique that will allow you to ski better and prevent any injuries. Using the appropriate techniques can help you avoid significant calf pains after skiing. Not only can your ski instructor guide you on what techniques you should work on, but they can also pick out the most suitable terrain for you to explore on your skis. Even if you have dabbled with skiing in the past, working with a coach can be helpful to learn your way around the mountain so you know what you should take on and what you should avoid. How to select your ski gear? As a beginner skier, it would be helpful to rent out your ski gear from the rental shop. The experts at the ski centre should guide you through sizing so you can find appropriately fitted skis and boots. Overall, your ski boots should have a snug fit, while they may feel tight and stiff at the beginning and requires a bit of getting used to. When you're standing up, the end of the ski boot should be touching your toes. Once you have them on, bend your knees and lean forward in the skiing position to check if the end of the boots remains closely fitted. This is essential to prevent your feet from getting cold and wet. The length of your skis are determined by your height, weight, ability and terrain. As a general rule of thumb, beginners' skis should reach up to their chin level. While lengthier skis add stability and speed, shorter ones are preferred for beginners as they are easier to manoeuvre. When selecting your ski pole length, keep in mind that when you plant the pole against the floor with your elbow at a right angle, it should place your forearm in a level position. How to recover from skiing? Skiing is an intensive sport that puts every single muscle group in your body to work. So you need to engage in some physical fitness to strengthen your muscles. The stronger you are, the easier it is to grasp the techniques. The main muscle groups used in skiing are your calf and thigh muscles, along with your core. Engage in squats, sit-ups and planks to get your muscles conditioned for the upcoming activity. Make sure to stretch well and stay hydrated to prevent muscle cramping and reduce the risk of injury. Add in proper warm-ups and cool-down sessions to maintain muscle flexibility which will help to avoid sore calves from skiing. If you still experience leg pain and stiffness the following day, utilize a muscle recovery tool such as the SPRYNG calf compression wrap that can help improve blood circulation in your legs and help them recover faster. It is the ideal home remedy for swelling in your legs as these compression sleeves are portable and offer a quick fix within 15 minutes for sore and achy leg muscles. You can take them on your ski trip and wear them on your drive back and have them ease the pain in your legs from skiing.

The festive season is upon us, and it has us all occupied with last-minute gift shopping. We all want to get our hands on the most meaningful gifts that are tailor-made for those we care. Sadly, finding that perfect present can be tricky. If you have loved ones who are into all things fitness, we're here to help you with this list of fantastic Christmas gifts options for workout enthusiasts. Whether you're searching for something for your special colleague or work bestie who's into yoga, or you want some Christmas gift ideas for the fitness fanatic living next door, or you simply want to buy yourself a little something that will motivate you to keep up with your new year fitness goals, you're guaranteed to find the perfect gifts for fitness lovers listed below. Christmas Gifts for Fitness Lovers Promote health and fitness this Christmas by getting your friends and family some thoughtful workout gear or recovery gifts for those that engage in strenuous exercise routines. Here are a few Christmas gift ideas to help you get started:  1. Workout Accessories For workout enthusiasts, it's more than just a fitness routine; it's a lifestyle. Whether they engage in home-workouts, make an early morning trip to the gym or spend their weekends doing long hikes, marathons or other forms of sport. They all require a set of workout accessories to make their lives easier. Water Bottle Hydration is an essential component for all fitness enthusiasts. From trendy stainless steel bottles that are perfect for staying cool or colorful bottles with funky prints or motivational quotes to keep your fitness lovers in their game, there is a wide range of options when it comes to water bottles for gifting. What's more, you may even find ones that are double insulated to keep their water ice cold all day, perfect for those that engage in marathon training or cycling. Getting your loved ones a trendy new bottle is a thoughtful gift for fitness lovers that will help them stay refreshed throughout their workouts. Fitness Journal If you're searching for a secret Santa gift for a fitness lover, a journal to track their training would be ideal. Most of us set new year's resolutions to exercise more. With the new year around the corner, this journal can help them set new fitness goals for 2022. Maintaining a fitness journal is one of the best ways to keep track of performance, monitor sleep and food habits, and so much more. Hence, this is a great Christmas gift for your colleagues to help them start the year off with just the right kind of motivation required. 2. Muscle Recovery Aids It is common for those who engage in strenuous exercises to experience pain in the calves and thigh muscles. Additionally, standing for long periods because of home chores or work requirements can also contribute to leg pain and muscle soreness. Cold weather during the winter, too, can lead to cramping and pain in your legs. Recovery tools are the perfect home remedies for leg pain after running and workouts and sore muscles from standing all day. Compression Wraps If you have loved ones wondering how to recover muscles faster after a workout, calf muscle recovery tools are great gifts for them. Muscle recovery tools are great remedies for leg pain due to cold weather, and compression tools are some of the best devices you can use to alleviate sore calves from running. SPRYNG calf compression wraps are ideal for muscle recovery during the holidays. It was also featured in Men’s Journal as on of the ‘Best Fitness Gifts for Men’ Not only are they portable, enabling you to do your home chores while you have them on, but they also offer a fast solution to leg pain with only 15 minutes of wear time required. Bath Salts One of the best ways to relax post-workout is to take a warm bath. It is also an excellent way to recover sore muscles. Why not gift your loved ones with specialized muscle recovery bath salts that incorporate magnesium chloride flakes and essential oils to help soothe those achy muscles after their holiday workouts. It is the perfect secret Santa gift for fitness lovers, and it is also the ideal size for stocking fillers. 3. Electronic accessories Electronic accessories are much desired Christmas gift ideas for those who engage in daily workouts. Wireless Headphones Who doesn't enjoy some good beats as they work out? It's an essential accessory for most who engage in training, and wireless devices are always preferred by fitness lovers who undergo rigorous workout routines. The latest devices are specially designed for working out with noise-cancelling and sweat-proof features that enable you to get in the zone for your exercise routine. These are fantastic Christmas gifts for fitness lovers and are perfect for your friends that engage in routine workouts. Smartwatch A smartwatch is the ultimate fitness accessory. While there are a couple of major brands to choose from, they all offer a similar range of features, such as fitness activity trackers that allows the wearer to track their steps, burned calories alongside heart rate and sleep. If you're searching for something for your workout loving significant other, a smartwatch is the ideal fitness Christmas gift for him. They are available in sleek designs and varying color options guaranteed to make him happy and excited for his following routine.

  Whether you're a professional dancer, a dance enthusiast taking a few lessons to improve your technique, or you simply use it as a fun exercise to stay in shape, your overall fitness is vital for enhancing performance and preventing injuries. There are multiple components to physical fitness expected from a dancer, such as muscle strength and flexibility, and it is necessary for dancers to stay fit through exercise. While flexibility helps to increase their range of motion that enables a dancer to achieve the aesthetic of dance, their muscle strength allows them to move with speed and force. Depending on the type of dance you engage in, you may require different exercises that can strengthen the specific muscle groups in use. We have listed 5 dance exercises you can incorporate into your routine to improve your overall fitness for dancing.   Want to know more? Learn more about how Spryng can help you! Subscribe for the latest updates and get 10% OFF. 5 Easy Exercises for Dancers to Stay Fit To ensure dancers are adequately trained to provide longevity for their performance and promote their health, it requires a balanced training approach that combines muscular strength training and flexibility training. Listed below are some of the ideal exercises to improve dancing: Squats Whether you're into hip hop, ballroom, jive or contemporary, strong legs are a requirement for all types of dancers. Squats are one of the strength exercises for dancers as they help improve overall leg strength by targeting your glutes, medius, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors and calves. Squats promote better balance, enabling dancers to jump high and land safely on their feet. And in addition to strengthening your leg and thigh muscles, squats are also helpful in building up your back muscles. Dancers may engage in bodyweight squats or add some weights to make it more challenging. Cardio Stamina is the lifeblood of a dancer. Your stamina determines how long you can perform and how powerful your moves can be. The more stamina you possess, the more effortless and graceful you can be on the dance floor. In order to build up your stamina and to prevent yourself from feeling breathless at the end of a performance, you must engage in cardio. Cardio training allows you to improve your cardiovascular system's function, which in turn helps you move and perform with ease.[1] To improve your cardio, engage in running, swimming or even incorporate a jump rope session for 30 minutes a day. Stretches Dance requires flexibility. And in order to stretch out your muscles without sustaining injuries, they need to be conditioned. A good stretching session is vital to improve flexibility and strengthening. Incorporate a 30-minute session of stretching daily in order to allow your muscles to expand, helping you to twist and contort your body according to the requirements of your dance choreography. Alternatively, you can engage in a Pilates and yoga session too. These are some helpful exercises to improve your muscle strength and endurance, and they also promote joint mobility and flexibility.[2] Push-ups Push-ups are some of the best all-rounded exercises to improve dancing. They help target chest, arms, core, back and upper body strength and are very useful in correcting bad posture. Dancers require great posture in order to deliver graceful movements as needed in ballet as well as other forms of dance. Daily push-ups are instrumental in helping even the most elite dancers achieve great posture. Crunches Core strength is everything to a dancer as it is through your core that you power your limbs for movement. Crunches and sit-ups are the best workouts for your core muscles as they can help with strengthening your hips, abs and arms, thereby enhancing your overall performance. Find out more about strength exercises for dancers here.   Tips for Muscle Recovery for Dancers In order to boost your dance performance and prolong your career whilst avoiding injuries, you should incorporate some of these recovery measures after you wrap up your regular dance routine: Ice it up Use ice packs to reduce swelling in your legs after the session. Especially if your legs hurt after dancing, icing helps your legs to warm down faster and eases any pain that's experienced. Draw a warm bath If your legs hurt after dancing, relax and unwind by soaking your sore muscles in a warm bath. Add in some Epsom salt to encourage muscle relaxation and promote blood circulation. This is a useful technique to achieve muscle recovery for dancers. Elevate your legs Sore legs from dancing are unavoidable due to the strain on the leg muscles. Elevating legs for recovery by propping them up on a stool or a cushion when you're done with your dance routine will help relieve the built-up tension in your muscles. Use a compression tool If your legs hurt after dancing, compression wraps like SPRYNG offer one of the fastest means for recovery from dance. These pneumatic compression devices are designed to promote oxygenation in your leg muscles and provide relief from leg pain with just 15 minutes of use.     [1] https://www.verywellfit.com/dance-fitness-4014009 [2] https://presentingdenver.org/the-commentary-corner/muscular-strength-for-dancers/