This is the newest installment of “Raks Me A Question” – an occasional series where I answer dancers’ questions about anything and everything to do with this Sparkly Life – from practice techniques to troupe politics. Think of it as a dancers’ Q & A meets Dear Abby! Got a question you’d like to ask? Email me and tell me all about it. Kelly asks: “How can I keep practicing when I’m injured?” Most dancers, at […]
Do you go through phases of being super-committed to your belly dance practice or workouts, then fall off the wagon? I think we all exhibit this pattern with something in our lives. For me it’s keeping my office out of a state of chaos so I can actually concentrate on work. Success with long-term commitments, is not about the big push, it’s about the consistency and building positive habits. I picked up two tidbits that […]
As bikini season approaches, I see more and more fitness challenges on Facebook and Twitter. The “Brazen Fit Ab Challenge”, the “30 Day Squat Challenge”, and the “5/100 Fitness Challenge” are just a few examples . Anyone who has subscribed to the Daily Bellydance Quickies or has followed this blog for any length of time already knows that I am a huge proponent of fitness training for not only your general health, but also to […]
In a recent Daily Bellydance Quickie, I demonstrated two stretches for the Iliotibial band, more commonly known as the IT band. Today let’s learn a little more about what this important structure does and how we can keep it healthy and pain-free. What is the IT band? The IT band is a fibrous strap that runs from the hip down the outside of the thigh, across the knee, attaching to the tibia. The tendons of […]
I think just about every person knows someone who has had a knee injury, if they haven’t had one themselves. Knee problems are very common; this is not surprising considering the complexity of the joint, its possible range of motion and the load it bears. Approximately 3-5 times one’s body weight in force goes through the knees during normal walking. This is much greater, of course, in running or jumping. But our bodies are pretty […]