Fitness and the Performing Artist

Your body is your medium.

Whether you’re an actor, singer, or dancer, your body is your partner in creativity and communication.

Each morning, after I have my coffee and I do my mental enrichment practices, I get ready to move.

I alternate training and dancing six days a week. On dance days, I do short videos for TikTok and YouTube. I usually choose my outfit the night before, and I have a simple set up with my iPhone, a tripod, and two square L.E.D. Lights on their own tripods. My favorite dances for social media are Shuffle, Electro Swing, and Tap.

All three dance forms do a good job of progressing my cardio fitness and lower body conditioning, but a strong upper body is essential too, especially when it comes for the grip strength I need to play the acoustic and electric guitar.

I have a short attention span so I adore Tabata Training. Here are the exercises I will do today:

1. Push ups

2. Squats

3. Plank

4. Reverse Lunges

5. Spider-Man Push-ups

6. Skater Hops

7. T-Planks

8. Split shuffles

This workout alternates between upper and lower body training to allow a bit of recovery between exercises. Note that there are no repeated moves. This eliminates the boredom that used to make me avoid exercise. Yes, this Tabata set is intense and challenging, but it’s also exhilarating, especially when I have my favorite music to motivate me.

This brings me to one of my favorite sayings about establishing a fitness practice:

“The best kind of exercises are the ones you are willing to do.”