Safe Home Practice Tips

Safe Home Practice Tips

It’s great to see so many of you enthusiastically keeping up with dance practice and general exercise whilst at home. Over the next few weeks and possibly even months, it will be important for many of you to maintain your momentum.

There are lots of dance schools and fitness classes that are running either live classes or recordings to keep you going BUT, there are also lots of free online classes that you can join and follow too. We have outlined 3 main guidance tips that are important for anyone to follow when undertaking fitness sessions at home to keep you safe whilst keeping fit.

Qualified Instructors

It is extremely important to make sure that whichever class, course or video you choose to follow at home that the teachers or instructors are qualified professionals in whichever field of exercise they are leading. The best way of ensuring this is to either:

1. Follow classes that are led by your own dance school or fitness instructor. You already know and trust them and they have your best interests at heart.
2. Follow well known teachers or instructors in your given field of exercise. You can feel assured that the more well known fitness leaders have the relevant qualifications in order to have built up their following and reputation.

Correct Apparatus

If you need equipment, specifically specialist equipment, make sure that you have it. Yes, there are many forms of exercise where you can safely substitute a piece of equipment with a household object (tins of beans in place of weights). But if you need certain shoes that will protect your feet (such as tap shoes), please make sure to have them. Long term exposure to exercise without proper equipment can be detrimental to the body. If you are fortunate enough to have your own home practice ballet barre too then you can truly emerse yourself into a full ballet practice class using the safety of the ballet barre to keep your balance.

Exercise at the Right Level

Beginner, intermediate or advanced? You know your own physical abilities. Make sure to select the classes that are appropriate for your own health and physical abilities. It is important to highlight the dangers of exercising at a more intense level than your current ability. If you join an online class that is too strenuous, please stop and find something more suitable. Physical injuries are easy to obtain and can take even years to heal from. Remember that self-directed classes have no-one in front of you to guide and care for your wellbeing. You are solely responsible for your own actions. With so many classes available, it should be easy to find something perfect for you!

If you take our guidance on board then you should manage to continue to learn your dance, exercise or training regime safely from the comfort of your own home. With minimal risk to physical injury and great potential to continue to hone your craft during this particularly difficult time.

We wish you safe and enjoyable exercise.