Four Moves To Do Everyday During the Christmas Break

The Christmas break is almost here and this is one of the few times during the Dancing year that we don’t have Feises…but that doesn’t mean we have to stop training completely. We definitely want you to have a break over Christmas but if you want to stay on top of your strength and mobility here are four moves that our Coaches Meg, Rach and Lauren recommend that you do during the Christmas break…

Standing Pigeon Pose

This move was recommended by Rach, who teaches our weekly stretch and yoga classes. The standing pigeon pose is great for helping you with:

🙌 Ankle strength and stability

🙌 Core strength

🙌 Leg strength

🙌 Hip mobility

🙌 Focus! 

This one simple pose can target so many areas helping you to use your time wisely for maximum impact. 

How to perform:

🙌 Stand with both feet facing forwards and your arms by your sides

🙌 Lift your right leg and place it on your left knee, making a right angle with your leg

🙌 From there, sit back into the movement, by pushing your bottom backwards and raise your hands - so there is a straight line from your fingertips, all the way down to your bottom

🙌 Start by trying to hold for 5 seconds each side - you can hold onto the wall to find alignment, and work up to 15 seconds each side. 

🙌 Make sure to engage your core and slide hips and knees back and down to activate the stretch in your hip.

Single leg Bulgarian Split Squat 

Coach Lauren’s key move for you this Christmas targets your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes - which are essential for big leaps and jumps and stability during intricate footwork. The single leg work mirrors the one legged balance and stability required in Irish dancing.

This move will improve your dancing by:

✨ Strengthening your hamstrings and glutes = bigger leaps and stronger clicks 

✨ Strengthening the hamstrings, quads and glutes = reduces fatigue for your performances 

✨ Strengthened stabilisers = safe landings and controlled movements reducing the risk of injury

✨ Core engagement = maintains the upright position, hence improving your posture

How to perform:

✨Use sofa or chair and stand with your back to it

✨Place the top of one foot on the surface behind you

✨ Lower your body into a squat position: bending the front knee, keeping chest upright and core engaged

✨ Stop when your front thigh is parallel to the floor, then push back up through your front heel and return to the start position 

✨ Perform 8-12 reps per leg 3 times round. (Start with low reps and build up as you progress)

Cat/Cow

Meg tends to think of this move as an ‘all rounder’ because it targets and helps so many areas! It is the first movement she does with all of her 1-1 clients as it is the root of pretty much ALL Irish Dance corrections. By mobilising your lower back you will be able to kick higher, turnout more and cross with ease. 

💥 Start in a tabletop position - on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips

💥 From there begin by moving into the Cow Pose: Inhale as you drop your belly towards the mat/floor

💥 Lift your chin and chest, and gaze up toward the ceiling

💥 Next, move into Cat Pose: As you exhale, draw your belly to your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. The pose should look like a cat stretching its back.

💥Repeat x8

Downward Dog

Are you looking to improve your high kicks or straight knees over Christmas? Well, look no further than Downward Dogs! Often when working with Dancers, they find this move to be rather difficult but with consistency, it can really improve and you’ll see the improvements in your dancing as a result. 

☘️Start in a tabletop position, just like you did for Cat/Cow

☘️ From there, lift your toes so that the bottom of your toes are pressed into the mat/floor 

☘️ Raise your bottom into the air and push your heels towards the floor 

☘️ Press your head through your arms as much as you can

☘️ Come forward and down into your original position

☘️ Repeat x8

Make sure you record your improvement over the Christmas break by taking pictures and videos and send us your improvement on Instagram or Facebook - we would love to see. 

Imagine how confident you will feel going back to Dance class knowing you have improved your Dancing over the Christmas break by only spending 10 minutes a day doing these four moves.