Working Hard or Working Stupid?
I got pretty serious about getting my work ethic together about 2 months ago. I started going in 5 days a week with shifts that ranged 4-10 hours a day. I was feeling pretty damn proud of myself till the end of the third week when I noticed my knee was killing me, even while laying down. I tried wearing knee sleeves under my knee highs but I don't think it helped much. Honestly I'm starting to think it's a combination of being flat footed and wearing heels. I'm not used to having to pace myself. I've always been a person that goes at things obsessively or not at all. It's now been almost two weeks since I've been in and I feel so shitty about all the money I've missed out on (granted I was sick for one of those weeks on top of my knee issues). Part of me feels like I'm making excuses for myself, while the other part of me worries I might be doing permanent damage to my knee if I keep going that hard. I really do want to get to a point where I'm working obsessively though. It makes me feel like I'm actually working toward something everyday, and that I'm getting closer to the things I want.
Should I maybe cut things to 4 days a week? Should I consider camming on days I don't dance (part of me wonders if I'd be any good at it, if the money would be comparable, or if I should risk being seen online... one cool thing about it, is that I potentially could do a couple thing if my other half is into it). I'm also starting to worry I may need to start a vanilla business before my body catches up to me. I feel like 26 should still be really young, but it's starting not to feel like it. Suggestions or thoughts? Do you think knee pain is that scary of an issue for us dancers? What do you do to try and keep your body from limiting the amount of work you want to do?
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
Don't feel bad for missing out on money. Your health is more important and the moeny will be there once you recover. You can't make money if you can't walk.
Stop doing moves that are bad for your knees. Figure out what ur doing that's hard on ur knees and don't do that. I've had the same issue w the pain lying down and it stopped once I stopped being so hard on my knees. It was so bad I collapsed bc my knee gave out once but I'm fine now and I work 3-5 days per week
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
My knees were "less than strong" before but after doing stage and twerking and slithering around in my knees I realized that after just a few times of doing this I made them significantly worse. At least two of my extended family have had knee surgeries and I dont know if it's something genetic but I'm not fucking around trying to meet the same fate.
Stay off your knees and take some supplements like glucosamine, collagen, MSM, chondroitin, calcium/vitamin D, etc. And make sure you have the proper form when bending/squatting down/extending your knee/leg.
if you have flat feet I'm not even sure you should be wearing the typical dancer shoes. You most likely need custom shoes.
You probably should seek out foot/knee specialists. pain is there for a reason. Listen to your body and never aggravate the areas that give you trouble.
I don't think you're necessarily being "stupid" but you do need to preserve your body and be very wise about your money just in case you need to use it for healthcare/take some time off.
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
You will get zero money and fat medical bill if you will continue damaging your knee. Take a break to let you knee recover, take sport massage sessions, and pace yourself at 3 shifts a week. Also, you might change your routine and not to use your knees on stage. Try simple pole tricks. If you master a few tricks you dont have to be on your knees that much.
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
Don't fuck with your knees girl. I suggest taking joint supplements, staying off your knees as much as you can and working out to strengthen the muscles in your legs/thighs. Talk to your doctor and maybe get a referral to a sports physio therapist.
I have weak ankles and I ended up tearing a tendon at work. It was a BIIITCH to recover from.
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
I stopped doing floorwork completely. You don't need to.
Go to an osteopath they will assess your damage/weakness and will prescribe exercise that will help stabilize and strengthen your knees.
There is a website I found on stirpperweb where you can order custom heels from russia, with far higher quality insoles. They're not even that expensive! Don't wear a sandal style, there is a reason all the girls in urban clubs are wearing ankle boots. Because if your ankles are supported your knees don't have to work so hard.
I have knee issues from scoliosis and years of stripping so I feel you. After work you can slap on a SalonPas for a over the counter painkiller that doesn't go through your liver. It's basically the same premise as tiger balm only it doesn't smell gross and get smeared everywhere. They come in patches and they heat up to fight joint pain/stress.
Take care of yourself!
Also, I like how babb said she works 3-5 days per week, building that kind of flexibility into your schedule can help keep you sane- if you're tired or have other stuff you want to do, you can do it without feeling like you didn't meet your own expectations. If you want to go hard, you can feel like wow I outdid myself this week. I also do 3-5 and have been since March- I don't work that hard in Jan-Feb though.
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
vanessa_mtl
I stopped doing floorwork completely. You don't need to.
Go to an osteopath they will assess your damage/weakness and will prescribe exercise that will help stabilize and strengthen your knees.
There is a website I found on stirpperweb where you can order custom heels from russia, with far higher quality insoles. They're not even that expensive! Don't wear a sandal style, there is a reason all the girls in urban clubs are wearing ankle boots. Because if your ankles are supported your knees don't have to work so hard.
This is the site: https://heelsnthrills.com/
If the basic insoles in their shoes (which are already way thicker than a pleaser etc) aren't enough they have options for ones with even more arch support.
Second seeing an osteopath. I saw one for 3 visits and she corrected basically all of the weird imbalances I had going on.
Massage + acupuncture have now become regular parts of my routine, same as getting nails done or whatever. If you end up injured, you can't work, so spending that $100 once in a while is completely worth it.
I work in an area where we are stage heavy and the clubs expect big shows, and typically you work 7 days. So I'll usually go hard for 1 or 2 weeks and then take a week off. By the end of the week I usually feel like I've been hit by a bus both physically and mentally. If I had the option to pick shifts and still make good money I'd probably do 4 a week, and deffo not all in a row.
Re: Working Hard or Working Stupid?
I'm just now back to work after fracturing my knee. Recovery was a motherfucker. Mostly I avoid floor work if I can, I have really comfortable and stable Ellies that help keep pressure off my knees, and all in all I'm just careful. I was supposed to stay out of work for six weeks...I made it Two before I started to go nuts from boredom and ran through some of my savings.
I do worry that I'll re-injure my knee or make it worse or whatever, bit hard truth is I gotta work. I do 5 days, 6-8 hour shifts. I'm a serious career dancer of 12 years so I'm used to a demanding schedule, but that's just me. Everyone is different. I would recommend making a schedule you can handle and sticking to it- best way to consistently make money. Also stay off your knees if you can, use aspercream for the pain, and ice your knees after work.