How to improve stiff limbs while dancing

A big reason why our limbs become stiff when dancing is related to our mentality. We should use abdominal breathing, relax our shoulders, and exercise our arms. If we want to make our bodies softer, we need to relax the control of our bones so that our limbs will not become stiff when dancing. To improve limb stiffness in dancing, we can try the following methods.

1. Abdominal breathing

Sit on the bed, relax your feet naturally, and lean your upper body forward from the clitoris (the depression under the sternum). Be careful to tuck your chest in and lower your head. Breathe in only through your nose, while bulging your abdomen. Feel the diaphragm being relaxed and exhale in short bursts, divided into two breaths. At this time, relax your shoulders and feel your chest opening backwards.

After two short exhalations, change to one long exhalation. This deep and long breathing can fully relax the body. After exhaling, relax your upper body and lean forward naturally. The above is a complete process. Inhale and exhale again, and repeat this 4 sets.

2. Relax your shoulders

Prepare 2 thick books or dictionaries. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the book in both hands, and lean forward. Don't exert any force on your body and try to stay relaxed. Slowly straighten your upper body from the waist. Fully extend your back while being aware of your shoulders, arms, and underarms before straightening your upper body. Just hold the book with the strength of your arms. Repeat this several times.

3. Arm exercise

① Lie on the bed and support your upper body with your elbows. Pay attention to the energy flowing from Dantian up along the back, straightening your upper body. Do this posture 4 times.

② Stand upright, keep your shoulder joints relaxed, spread your arms, extend your fingers forward, bend your elbows slightly backward, and expand your chest in the direction of your arms. The key to this movement is to keep your fingertips tight. Do two sets of five minutes each. And be careful not to lift your shoulders.

4. Chest Exercise

Choose a harder bed board and put a towel under your waist to prevent back pain. Lie on your back, curl up your legs, open your arms and relax your body. Lift your entire body upward by straightening the area where your back meets your ribs. Be careful not to bend your waist and head. Inhale every 4 seconds and exhale every 4 seconds. After repeating for 2 times, lower your upper body.

5. Tighten your buttocks

① Lie down with your knees raised, support your body with your shoulders and feet, and lift your hips upward. Turn your toes outward and keep your heels together. At this time, you should feel a sensation of your abdomen pulling your buttocks up. Hold for a few seconds, then slowly lower your hips. Repeat several times.

② Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Maintaining this position, use your toes as the axis to gently lift your heels and move forward. At the same time, tighten your buttocks muscles and hold for 1 minute. If you feel tired, you can hold on to the wall.

6. Slim legs

① Curl your knees as close to your body as possible, remain in a sitting position, and hold your toes with both hands. Hold your toes with your hands and stretch your legs forward. Make sure your heels are stretched forward as far as possible. Your feet should be perpendicular to the plane of the bed.

While curling your toes, extend your toes forward as far as possible. It is best to keep your feet and legs in a straight line, but don't force it. At this time, the upper limbs do not have to be in contact with the legs. Starting from the base of the thighs, lean forward and get as close to your legs as possible, using the weight of your upper limbs to stretch the muscles throughout your body. Please feel the energy flowing from the inside of your legs to your back at this time. Repeat this 1-4 times.

② Support your body with your knees and hands, and keep them shoulder-width apart. Whether your palm is in front of or behind your shoulder, it will result in uneven force application. Lift one knee up and try to touch your forehead. Stretch your knees and legs backward, then bend your knees slightly inward and downward, with your fingertips pointing to 1 o'clock (11 o'clock for the left foot). Maintain this posture and count silently to 8 times.

Stretch hard from the inside of the knee to the heel, keeping the leg straight and the toes pointed. Keep your shoulders up and don't bend your elbows. Hold for 8 seconds. After 8 seconds, lower your leg and switch to the other side. Repeat this process 4 times.

7. Move your ankles

Utilizing a handrail or a wall, tighten the movement at your ankle. Lift and lower the heels of both feet alternately. Focus on your ankles and move slowly up and down.

8. Stretch your body

Sit on the bed with the soles of your feet facing each other. With the thigh root as the axis, lean your upper limbs forward. This is the key to the lying down movement. Starting from Dantian, slowly straighten your upper body, feeling as if your spine is standing up one section at a time. Be careful not to raise your head too quickly. As you straighten your upper body, keep your neck straight and your back extended. Repeat this exercise four times.

9. Chair Exercise

People with stiff joints will find it difficult to stand up or fall forward while sitting with the inner sides of their feet touching. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a chair to help you practice.

Sit comfortably with your waist pressed against the chair back and your feet together. Start by leaning your upper body forward, keeping your breathing even, and straighten your upper body. Then complete a forward movement from the head to the dantian while maintaining breathing. If you work for a long time or maintain the same posture, you can use this exercise to relax your muscles.