ADVICE FOR DANCERS.Q I'm a 62-year-old dance teacher with a classic case of osteoarthritis osteoarthritis or osteoarthrosis or degenerative joint disease Most common joint disorder, afflicting over 80% of those who reach age 70. It does not involve excessive inflammation and may have no symptoms, especially at first. from years of overuse overuse Health care The common use of a particular intervention even when the benefits of the intervention don't justify the potential harm or cost–eg, prescribing antibiotics for a probable viral URI. Cf Misuse, Underuse. . I began ballet fifty years ago and never took more than a few months off. I now have no cartilage in my knees (to speak of), and even the balls of my feet are turning against me in releves! I've cut back on demonstrating steps in class and have found some pain relief from prescription drugs and other supplements. Would strengthening exercises also help a foolish old dance teacher who still loves to move? Katherine Eck From Jacksonville, Oregon Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was one of the first placer gold claims. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,235. A There's nothing foolish about your love for dance. Unfortunately, some people are more vulnerable to osteoarthritis than others for reasons beyond dance's normal wear and tear on the body. The question is what can you do now? Dance medicine specialists tell me that it's common for people suffering from arthritis to get caught up in a vicious cycle Noun 1. vicious cycle - one trouble leads to another that aggravates the first vicious circle positive feedback, regeneration - feedback in phase with (augmenting) the input of pain, weakness, and loss of motion. So you're smart to consider exercises to strengthen your muscles. The trick is to work out without irritating the joints--or you won't get results. Pain from an arthritic joint stops the muscles around it from working (the medical term is reflex inhibition reflex inhibition n. A decrease in reflex activity caused by sensory stimuli. ), so toughing it out will only make you weaker. In contrast, isometric exercises Isometric exercises Exercises which strengthen through muscle resistance. Mentioned in: Chondromalacia Patellae , such as straight leg lifts, contract the muscle without punishing the joint. The stationary bike Stationary Bike is a short story written by Stephen King, which was originally published in the fifth edition of From the Borderlands in 2003. The story depicts the struggle of Richard Sifkitz — a commercial artist and widower — to suppress a passion for is also a good way to strengthen the knee because it involves minimal weight bearing. A physical therapist can design a program to meet your unique needs. Pilates exercises are also a great way to increase strength while maintaining flexibility. Q I need help fast. For eight months I've been following a sensible diet that's resulted in my losing thirteen pounds. The problem is that I'm now starting to gain the weight back even though I'm being good most of the time. What gives? Feeling Fat A Whoops! We all know that weight loss isn't easy. Now it turns out that it may be even harder than you think. New research suggests that people who lose 10 percent of their body weight (that's 15 pounds if you're a 145-pound female) slow their metabolic rate Noun 1. metabolic rate - rate of metabolism; the amount of energy expended in a give period basal metabolic rate, BMR - the rate at which heat is produced by an individual in a resting state as much as 15 percent, even if they're eating right. The reason is that your body is programmed to be a certain weight and it will do everything it can to get you back there. The only way to maintain a lower weight, according to the experts, is to keep an eye on to watch. - Shak. See also: Eye your eating, and exercise on a daily basis--for the rest of your life. Dr. Michelle Warren, the medical director for the Center for Menopause, Hormonal Disorders and Women's Health Women's Health Definition Women's health is the effect of gender on disease and health that encompasses a broad range of biological and psychosocial issues. in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , advises dancers that anemia and menstrual irregularity A defect, failure, or mistake in a legal proceeding or lawsuit; a departure from a prescribed rule or regulation. An irregularity is not an unlawful act, however, in certain instances, it is sufficiently serious to render a lawsuit invalid. can also lower metabolic rate. Q I'm a starter in ballet with little knowledge of what a dancer needs to have (like height and weight) or do to succeed. For example, should I try to start a career as a dancer or go to a university to get a proper education? Please give me some advice. Kristina Tremonti From Athens, Greece A It always amazes me how similar dancers are, no matter what part of the world they live in. Most dancers who write to me care passionately about their work. This is important because you need to be motivated to undergo eight or more years of training. Having a good teacher is also a requirement to become a dancer--not just for technique, but to learn healthy work habits and reach your potential. The final key to success in dance depends, to a large extent, on choosing a technique that suits your natural abilities. Ballet dancers usually face the toughest demands in terms of weight and training requirements and having to put off a higher education. Other dance styles, such as jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, and modern dance, are more accommodating--but just as much fun. To find out more about the nuts and bolts nuts and bolts pl.n. Slang The basic working components or practical aspects: "[proposing] of being a dancer, check out my book, Advice for Dancers (1998, Jossey-Bass). Q Since I was a little girl, I've wanted to be a professional dancer and perform onstage. Two years ago, I realized my dream when I got a position in a great company. What I didn't count on is having an artistic director who explodes at a moment's notice. I believe he wants us to be our best, yet all it takes is a bad class for him to lose his temper and tell us we're hopeless and should leave the company. Recently, I've been having nightmares and my heart starts pounding as soon as I enter the theater. I'm not sure if I can take another season. Fearful Dancer A I agree that your director probably wants you to be your best. The problem is that he's going about it the wrong way. Research shows that public humiliation doesn't pay off. In fact, being overly harsh with dancers only leads to injuries and a fear of performing in front of others. What can you do? Unless you're willing to switch companies, my advice is to find ways to reduce stress through yoga, relaxation exercises, or psychotherapy. Hopefully, your director will realize that he'll get better results by providing clear instructions and positive feedback. All performers need to feel safe if they're going to take risks before a live audience. Q I'm a former dancer who's working on a master's degree in psychology. My problem is that I seem to have become my own worst enemy. No matter how many times my supervisor tells me I'm on track with my thesis, I always think I can make it better Track listing , but it just keeps getting bigger and more unmanageable. Is this a form of self-sabotage? Jean From Chicago A Yes and no. If you're like most dancers, you tend to be a perfectionist per·fec·tion·ism n. 1. A propensity for being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards. 2. with extremely high standards. While this trait can motivate you to constantly excel, it can also drive you crazy because nothing is ever good enough. My advice is to set a deadline for your thesis and save any other ideas for a dissertation. Perfection is an ideal, not a reality. Q I had surgery on my ankle to remove an extra bone and must wait three weeks before starting rehab. I asked my doctor if I could start back sooner, but he said no. I'm thinking of doing it anyway because I don't want to fall behind. Frustrated A Listen to your doctor! Orthopedists tell me that every operation has a mandatory post-op period when you need to take it easy to avoid complications, such as an infection. Once you get the green light, it's safe to proceed to physical therapy to regain motion, strength, endurance, and timing. An associate professor at Fordham University, Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., is also a psychologist in private practice, a former dancer with New York City Ballet New York City Ballet, one of the foremost American dance companies of the 20th cent. It was founded by Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine as the Ballet Society in 1946. , and author of Advice for Dancers (Jossey-Bass) Send your questions to her at 2000 Broadway, PH2C, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10023 and read her answers exclusively in Dance Magazine. |
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