I would like to hear your opinions on the importance of rest. As a dancer who started later in life, each dancing day is precious to me and I don't want to waste any, no matter how exhausted or achy I may be. On the other hand I don't want to injure myself. One of my teachers has told the class "the days when you are really tired are the days you will make more progress". Do you think this is true? Or do you sometimes really need to give the body a rest? I'd appreciate your comments.<BR> <BR>

Excellent questions - Sissonne!!<P>I think it is very wise - depending on the age of the dancer and the amount of dancing done (could vary from just a daily class to a really full day of dance)- to plan at least one full day of rest a week for the body. The body needs time to recover and rest. The muscles can gain a great deal by resting and getting a chance to relax, in my experience.<P>I found when I was dancing full out - seven days a week, I was much more prone to injury - much more. When I had a very heavy schedule but had at least one day a week off, I really did much better. <P>It can even be advantageous, in my opinion, to every once in a while take a week off. The muscles really get a rest then and I would come back to dancing in much better shape - the body would be really rested and it seemed even to stretch easier.<P>But, as you can probably guess, this is a very individual thing. However, I surely would recommend at least one full day of rest in a week of dancing.

Sissonne, I agree with Basheva that you need one day off per week. Your muscles need the breathing time, and so does your brain!

I heard somewhere that muscles don't form when you're excersising, but rather rwhen your resting, *AFTER* you'ver excersied. I don't know the reasoning behind this though. Does anyone know if it's true?

You are right, Basheva, it is a very individual thing. Unlike you, If I rest for a week then I will be awful. But then again, if I dance intensivly for 3 days, the third day I won't be good either. I found that dancing one day and resting the other one is the perfect way of my body.