Good Flexibility For A Dancer example essay topic

448 words
Fitness Components Health Related components Strength: this is the force generated by a muscle or a group of muscles during one maximal contraction. This is very important to my sport, as strength is needed all the time in holding positions, lifts and posture. Strong abdominal muscles are a must as they are used all the time in dance as the dancers source of strength. Strong-arm muscles are useful for lifts and holding positions such as handstands.

Strong hamstrings and quadriceps are necessary to perform movements such as squats, bends and jumps. Speed: the ability to move all or some of your body parts quickly during motion, or over a distance. This is not quite as important to my sport as strength but is still needed. It is needed to perform movements with certain dynamics. Some moves maybe slow and sustained, others fast and strong. A dancer needs speed to be able to get the momentum for things like leaps that need a lot of height.

Cardio-respiratory endurance: the ability of the cardiovascular system to transport oxygen to muscles during sustained exercise. I interpret this as meaning the ability to be able to 'keep your breath' when doing a strenuous, long activity. This is needed in my sport, as dancers often have to perform very complicated, fast and strong movements without stopping for sometimes up to 4 minutes, maybe longer. Because of this it is important for them to have an excellent cardio-respiratory endurance to be able to perform to their best throughout the whole of the dance without becoming tired and their performance slipping towards the end. Muscular endurance: the ability of a muscle or a group of muscles to repeatedly contract for a long period of time. To a dancer this is quite similar to Strength.

There whole muscular system must be well toned and at its best. Muscular endurance is more to do with holding a position for a long time, e.g. a balance or holding somebody in a lift Flexibility: the range of movement possible at a joint. This is extremely important to a dancer as it determines how much technique they have. It allows a dancer to perform more complex moves and the moves look better. Good flexibility for a dancer means that they can do the moves just as the choreographer asks them to do. If a dancer has poor flexibility they will not be able to get their leg as high in the air or as straight as a dancer with good flexibility therefore their performance will not look as good.