As a $trippah you spend hours in heels multiple nights a week.
Your werk shoes are the #1 culprit for your post-shift aches & pains. They are the #1 culprit for why your knees hurt.
Why your hamstrings & hip flexors feel tight, why your low-back aches. Well, that and all pole work & lap dances.
They are quite literally effing up your body
Heels cause:
- some muscles and tendons in the legs to shorten, others to lengthen
- the pelvis to tilts forward
- thighs rotate inward
- the curve of the lower back becomes exaggerated
- the upper body leans backward while you lean forward to maintain your center of gravity adding a shearing force to your knees….
Muscles that are consistently over-lengthened or shortened become weak and feel tight because they can’t do their job properly.
Think about an old hair tie that you have to wrap around your hair twice as many times for it to hold your ponytail tightly because it’s stretched out.
That hair tie is your hamstrings after repeated wear of heels. This domino effect on your alignment and muscles can’t be fixed by endless yoga, foam rolling, and stretching alone.
Dynamic stretching & foam rolling may feel good in the moment but do nothing to strengthen weak, poorly functioning muscles.
Obviously, as a dancer there’s not much you can do about needing to wear heels for werk, but there are things you can do to help your feet, hips, and back and despite what you’ve been told the answer isn’t:
❌ Rest, Ice Elevate
❌ Stretch and take it easy
❌ Lots of Yoga
❌ Foam Roll
Here’s the thing foam rolling and mobility tools like tune-up balls and massage guns aren’t doing what you think they are. They don’t lengthen fascia, break up scar tissue or “tenderize your muscles”
According to research, foam rolling *MAY* decrease muscle soreness, recovery time, and improve flexibility but is most effective when PAIRED with active flexibility & strength drills. On its own, it’s just a nice massage in the moment.
If you want to ditch the aches of pains of stripper life it’s time to trade some of those yoga sessions and cardio workouts for strength training that incorporates single leg strengthening exercises, improving external hip rotation, ankle mobility, and core strength.