Dance-Cheer-Yoga!

Over the past several years, cheer leading has become one of the fastest growing women's sports. It is estimated that in America, about 3 million girls ages 6-17 participate in cheer leading. About 15% of these girls are involved in competitions. There is strength, flexibility, conditioning, endurance, and stamina involved in cheer leading and cheer dancing, as well as focus and teamwork.

There's little doubt that activities such as dance, gymnastics & cheer leading carries an inherent risk. All sports do; even sports like ping pong or golf carry the potential risk of injury. What makes cheer leading particularly noted is the type of injuries cheerleaders suffer, most commonly muscle sprains and strains. Dancers & gymnasts experience these types of injuries as well.


This, coupled with the more serious & widely publicized injuries such as broken bones, vertebrae and paralysis (mostly on college squads) has caused many organizations to tighten regulations around the types of stunts cheer leading squads can perform and the safety precautions dance studios & cheer squads should take.

'Safety First'! is the latest of a number of safety initiatives that Cheer leading's governing bodies have implemented in past years. The results show, among other things, that cheer's total injuries were cut in half from 2005 to 2006, and continued to drop through the 2007-2008 academic year. Cheer leading's injuries per 100,000 participants is only 2.0, significantly less than the figures for other popular women's sports such as gymnastics.

CHEER LEADING SAFETY:
(Courtesy of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association)

Below are some tips compiled by the NATA that help reduce cheerleader injuries at all levels. While these tips are targeted directly at cheer leading, they also will apply to dancers and gymnasts:

1. Proper Conditioning: Physically prepare and maintain your body’s strength, flexibility, and stamina for stunting and tumbling. Strengthen your core muscles (abdominal and lower back muscles) along with the upper and lower body and include aerobic (running, jogging, cycling, swimming) and anaerobic (wind sprints, circuit training) activities.

2. Exercise Reminders: Warm up, stretch and cool down for every practice or competition and be sure to rest. (Yoga, TaiChi & guided Imagery Techniques are great for flexibility and calming nerves.)

3. Proper Equipment: Practice on mats or padded flooring until your routines are perfected. Make sure the mats are adequately sized and sufficient for the activities you’re performing. Always wear proper footwear.

4. Spotting: Have trained spotters present and engaged at all times.

5. Knowledgeable Coaches: Make sure your coaches are certified in safety, first aid, CPR and AED use.

6. No Horseplay: Focus at all times during stunting and tumbling activities.

7. Communication: Request that your coaches review safety precautions, rules and regulations with the squad on a regular basis, and that they establish and implement an emergency action plan.

8. Read Safety Guidelines: Ask your coaches to be familiar with the latest AACCA safety guidelines; the safety advice in the National Federation of State High School Associations’ “Spirit Rules Book”; and the rules and regulations pertaining to your particular school.

9. Know Your Limits: Be aware of your ability level and do not attempt advanced level gymnastic or stunting skills before mastering less advanced skills. Always have a supervisor present.

10. Treatment & Prevention of Injuries: Promptly attend to any injuries you sustain. Your school or organization’s athletic trainer can assist in the proper treatment and prevention of such injuries. He or she can also offer an injury prevention education seminar and assist in creating the conditioning routine.

Yoga provides a perfect low-impact exercise & relaxation science that works with the athlete's whole body rather than individual parts. It provides a foundation for strong technique, as well as balance for strenuous practices & performances.

BodyLogique® has designed a Sport Yoga based conditioning curriculum just for cheerleaders, gymnasts and dancers, that focuses on balance & flexibility for injury prevention, core strength, stamina, teamwork & stress management.

Due to the volume of requests we have received, we are in the process of putting this curriculum into book form with an anticipated release date of August, 2012!

To receive a sneak preview by e-mail, please send your request to:
barbara@bodylogique.com .

In your request, please tell us if you are a coach/instructor or parent, and if you are interested in dance, cheer, yoga or other sport training for young female athletes. (This information is so that we can be sure to include specific information in the final draft of the book.)

Watch a preview video here: Dance Cheer Yoga!

Watch our "What's New"  page for release announcements and other news, or subscribe to us by using the slide-out menu viewable on the right side of our "welcome" page. Click on the bottom box, type in your e-mail address and submit.

* Customized cheer & gymnastics squad, girl's youth athletic league AND youth dance & ballet company Sport Yoga workshops are available year round at your Bucks/Mont County PA location! 

Please contact Barbara for scheduling and other information!

E-Mail: barbara@bodylogique.com

Call: 215-257-3193

Visit:   http://www.bodylogique.com/Teens.html

Information on Local NJ & Pennsylvania Dance/Cheer Squads can be found on: http://www.popwarner.com/admin/pennsylvania.asp



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