7 Ways to Avoid Arm Tiredness

Do your arms get tired when you dance?

Strong, lifted, interesting arms can make the difference between okay dancing and fabulous dancing. But the arms are usually the first body part to get tired.

So here are seven tips to help you prevent your arms from tiring out.

A big part of performing is budgeting your energy.

No matter how hard you train, you will always need to decide where to spend your energy, and where to save it.

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“A big part of performing is budgeting your energy”

So my first four tips are ways to conserve your energy:

1) Mix & Match

Alternate tiring positions, like V, with restful ones like framing your hips.
Just keep the restful position clean and energized. You don’t want the audience to know that you’re taking a break!

2) Change positions

Moving from one position to another gives you a mini-rest.
When you hold a static frame, you hold your muscles in the same engaged position the whole time.

When you change positions, your muscles get to release briefly during the transition. So even moving from one demanding position to another helps!

3) Play close to center

When your arms get tired, try positions that are closer to your center line.
“V” is tiring because you have to hold your arms overhead and out to the side.
But when you hold your palms together overhead, you’re only holding them up.

4) Go for variety

If it’s creative, it doesn’t look like a cop-out!
If you don’t have the stamina to spend much time in high positions, use the lower positions creatively.

Play with different variations:

Your hand placement (on your head? lifting your hair? at your temple?)
Palms facing up vs. down (or in vs. out)
Symmetrical vs. centered over one hip
Decorated with hand movements

You can also increase your stamina

With practice and technique adjustments, you can also build your ability to use more demanding arm positions, and to hold them longer.

So my next three tips will help you build up your “bank balance”, so you have more energy to spend:

5) Tweak your technique

Ask yourself: “how can this be easy?”
You may be putting more effort into your arms than you really need. Stand in front of a mirror, and hold each arm position.

Do you feel any gripping or tension in your muscles?

Experiment with small adjustments, to find the lowest-effort way to get the look you want.

6) Practice with high arms

Make your practice time do double-duty.
Most of us use horizontal arms when we’re practicing hip work. But why not make “V” your default?

When you practice, use high arm positions until you get tired, then switch to something more restful.

7) Practice with light weights

Regular arms will seem easy by comparison.
You can also build endurance faster by practicing with light wrist weights
(1 lb per arm is plenty). Choose a strap-on style, rather than hand weights – you need your hands free.