Photo Credit: Jipang-Group
So you spent a fabulous night social dancing with friends, enjoyed a few drinks after, and hung out at the bar before getting an Uber home. You’ve been going out dancing maybe once, twice, a week, and you’re feeling the toll on your body. What do you do? How do you recover from nights spent dancing? Here are some tips:
5 Social Dancing After Care
Take a Warm Bath
Taking a warm bath after social dancing is definitely the perfect way to cap off a great night. It seems taxing to go on a warm soak when it’s late at night, and you’re exhausted, but trust us; your body will thank you for it.
Apart from alleviating stress and burning more calories, taking hot soaks minimizes muscle pain, improves sleep, and soothes painful joints. If you’re into aromatherapy, add a few drops of your favorite essential oils, like lavender, chamomile, mint, or eucalyptus, to make the experience even more relaxing and enjoyable. Light a few candles, prepare a cup of tea and a good book or your favorite music, and you’re all set for the night.
… or a Hot Shower
If you don’t have the time or the tub, a hot shower makes a terrific alternative to a hot soak. Take a hot shower as soon as you’re done dancing during rehearsals or once you get home from social dancing. Essentially, you should hit the shower as soon as you wrap up dancing so that you won’t sit around in sweaty clothes for longer than you should. Warm temps also soothe tired, aching muscles.
Enjoy a Foot Spa
The feet bear the full weight of the body, and when you’ve been dancing for hours, it’s normal to feel pain and soreness of the forefoot or the pads of the feet. This goes especially if your social dance shoes have high heels; the body weight is concentrated to the balls of the feet. Give your feet the TLC they need with a bi-monthly foot spa. You can do this on your own or book at a nearby spa for a sesh.
Massaging the feet alleviates pain and soreness while also improving blood circulation. Because dancing makes you vulnerable to foot injuries, foot massages minimize your risk of stress injuries and speed up muscle recovery. For at-home foot spas, invest in scented Epsom salt, which you can get from the local supermarket. Customize your foot spa recipe with your favorite essential oils!
Drank Too Much? Keep Hydrated
It’s totally fine to enjoy a few drinks with friends as long as you are drinking responsibly. A drink is hard to resist when you’re out dancing with friends. But if your skin is sensitive after drinking alcohol, you need to stay hydrated, so it doesn’t look ashen or dry the morning after.
Alternate between drinking water and cocktails if you’re out with friends or go for mock-tails if you’re the designated driver. Alcohol is a diuretic, and if you’re losing too much fluids, you’ll feel lethargic, nauseous, and generally unwell the morning after. When you get home, drink more water, so you don’t wake up feeling hungover the morning after.
Enjoy a Whole Body Massage
If you have the time and budget to indulge in a bi-weekly body massage, then it’s one of the best ways to recover from muscle soreness and pain caused by dancing. And you’ll benefit from a good deep tissue massage even if you’re not dancing competitively. You can try it out once a month if you’re only dancing for fun or twice a month if you attend social dance events frequently.
And there you have it, simple after-care tips that you can do at home to rest and recover from dancing. Caring for your body makes you a better dancer. You can do any of these regardless of whether you’re a competitive dancer, a dance instructor, or simply someone who enjoys attending social dance events. Wearing comfortable dance shoes also helps alleviate muscle pain associated with dancing. Check out our full collection here.
