Dr. Elena Markoulis is one of our physical therapists who loves working with dancers, as she was a competitive dancer herself! One thing that Elena frequently sees in dancers is weakness in their hip extensors and abductors.
In traditional dance styles, dancers frequently work in a turned out position, which causes their hip flexors and adductors to do most of the work when we do a jeté or battement. Increasing the strength of your gluteus maximus (a hip extensor) and gluteus medius (a hip abductor), can help add power to your leaps and turns, improve your balance, and decrease back or hip pain!
Here are four exercises that you can do to improve your hip strength and become a stronger dancer:
1. Quadruped hip extension
2. Clamshell in side plank
3. Lateral band walk
4. Single Leg RDL with resistance band
