Taking Care of Your Physical Body: Mental Health Awareness for Dancers

Ballet is an amazing way to express yourself and exhibit creativity, but it’s also a demanding physical activity. You’re not naturally born "good" at ballet. You’re not born with automatic 180-degree turnout. Ballet is a trained sport where it develops body movement, like turnout, that's abnormal for our body to do. For dancers, maintaining a healthy body isn’t just about performance — it’s deeply connected to mental well-being. When your body feels good, your mind often follows, and vice versa. This is why taking care of your physical body is so important.

Here’s how dancers can nurture their bodies to support both physical and mental wellness — and why this connection matters:

1. Listen to Your Body — Honor Its Signals to Protect Your Mind

Your body communicates through feelings such as aches, tightness, or fatigue, which can be signs of overexertion or injury. If you feel these things, it's a signal of potential physical harm and can increase stress, anxiety, and feelings of frustration or burnout.

So when you feel those feelings, talk to a PT or your teacher about it. Find out exercises that can prevent your body from feeling pain. While in the meantime, take time to rest and recover. This balance helps maintain emotional resilience and keeps your passion for dance alive.

2. Prioritize Proper Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs — Prepare Your Body and Calm Your Mind

Warming up isn’t just about preventing injury — it’s about getting your mind and body in the right setting to execute movements our body isn't naturally supposed to do. Slow, mindful warm-ups and cool-downs encourage a connection between breath and movement, which can reduce anxiety and improve focus. Incorporating breathing exercises during these times can help ease nervous energy and center your thoughts, and help your focus.

3. Nourish Your Body with Balanced Nutrition — Fuel for Body and Brain

What you eat directly impacts your energy levels and mood. Balanced nutrition supports your body’s physical demands and regulates neurotransmitters that influence mental health, like serotonin and dopamine. Skipping meals or following restrictive diets can cause blood sugar imbalances, leading to irritability, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. Feeding your body well means you’re also nourishing your mental health.

4. Build Strength and Flexibility Gradually — Prevent Injury and Build Confidence

In ballet, you are always learning new moves and new advice, and rushing into challenging movements can cause injuries that disrupt both your dance practice and your emotional well-being. But by cross-training, it gets your body prepared to do the new steps and advice.

5. Get Quality Sleep — Restore Body and Mind

Sleep is one of the most powerful tools for healing. It allows your muscles to repair and your brain to process emotions, memories, and stress. Lack of sleep increases risks for anxiety, depression, and decreased cognitive function, which can interfere with creativity and motivation in dance. Prioritizing restful sleep boosts your physical recovery and emotional balance.

6. Seek Support When Needed — Physical and Mental Health Go Hand in Hand

Injuries or physical discomfort can lead to discouragement and sadness. Seeking help from healthcare professionals who understand the unique needs of dancers can address these issues early, preventing long-term impacts on your mental health. Likewise, talk to a trusted teacher or health professional about how you can overcome the injury physically and mentally not be discouraged from it. Talking to other dancers also helps as it normalizes the process of getting injured.

Why This Connection Matters

Your body and mind are always intertwined, constantly working together. So if you miss taking care of your physical or mental health, it can take a toll on your dancing. Dancing is supposed to be relieving and a source of expression, not a source of pain.