Odd as it may seem, us ballet dancers often cross paths with circus performers. I’ve befriended more than a few acrobats and contortionist from Cirque Du Soleil and other shows, which makes for an interesting social life. We all have pushed ourselves to our physical limits and beyond, and we all ultimately live with the consequences of extreme training. Repetition is the culprit.
Occupational Hazard: 7,000 Repetitions Minimum
Due to a hard life of physical repetition circus performers suffer a unique set of strains and stresses. While it take the muscle about 7,000 repetitions to master a movement, because your life literally hangs on the mastery of that movement you will need far more than 7,000 repetitions to feel superbly confident. I use Pilates to restore circus performers’ bodies to health.
Pilates Treatment: Stretch or Strengthen Supporting Muscle Groups
This is where injury prevention is married to long training hours. If you train too much the targeted muscle group will become overworked and susceptible to strains, sprains, and tears. But if you are constantly working to either stretch or strengthen the supporting muscle groups the body will find balance. By using the Pilates reformer and other equipment I can actually change the lifespan of a performer with the controlled resistive weight of the springs providing a low-impact means to stretch and strengthen.
In future posts I will discuss specific performance injuries and how I use Pilates equipment and techniques to keep performers in the show!
