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Sports training

Dance fitness strength and landing workout: calves, ankles, hips, knees, trunk and quiet landings

In Zumba surveys the knees and ankles lead the injuries, aerobic dance studies put nearly two-thirds of injuries in the shins, feet and ankles, and people who take more classes a week are injured more often. No prevention programme has been tested in dance fitness, but in other sports strength training cut injuries to under a third. This session takes its exercises and doses from our strength workout for dancers and knee control warm-up: calves and ankles, hips and knees that track over the toes, a strong trunk, and landings that are quiet and controlled. You need a step 15 to 20 cm high, a light resistance loop band, a dumbbell or kettlebell, a mat and a wall.

40 minIntermediate18 movesA wall · A step · A band · A bench or box · A dumbbellHip flexors · Calves · Shins · Glutes · Quads · Hip abductors
Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Warm-up

  1. Standing march60 s
    Beginner · Hip flexors, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoSwing the armsEasier: Seated marchHarder: Standing band hip flexion
  2. Ankle CARs (controlled articular rotations)5 circles each way, each ankle
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoSlow and bigEasier: Ankle circlesHarder: Toes-tucked kneeling (toe squat)
  3. Standing hip CARs3 slow circles each leg
    Beginner · Glutes, Hip flexors, Hip abductors · 3D demoHold a wallEasier: Hip circles on all foursHarder: 90/90 hip lift-off
  4. Bodyweight squat10
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoFeet parallelEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat

Feet and calves

Rest 30 to 45 s

  1. Single-leg calf raise from a step2 × 12 each leg
    Intermediate · Calves · 3D demoRise high over the big toe and lower for 3 secondsEasier: Slow calf raiseHarder: Single-leg pogo hops
  2. Band ankle eversion3 × 10 each foot
    Beginner · Calves, Shins · 3D demoTurn the sole out against the band, then return slowlyEasier: Isometric ankle eversion against a wallHarder: Single-leg stand
  3. Tibialis raise3 × 10
    Beginner · Shins · 3D demoBack against a wall; lift the toes, then lower them slowlyHarder: Single-leg tibialis raise

Hips and knees

Rest 60 to 90 s after the squats, 30 to 45 s otherwise

  1. Lateral band walk2 × 10 steps each way
    Beginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Quads · 3D demoKnees over the toesEasier: Hip abduction machineHarder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet
  2. Dumbbell goblet squat3 × 8 to 10
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Abs · 3D demoKnees over the middle toesEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Barbell front squat
  3. Reverse lunge2 rounds of 8 each side
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoFront knee over the middle of the footEasier: Split squatHarder: Split squat with dumbbells
  4. Patrick step-down3 × 10 each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Hip abductors · 3D demoFrom a 15 to 20 cm step, slowly, with the pelvis levelEasier: Bodyweight squatHarder: Skater squat

Trunk

Rest 30 s

  1. Side plank2 × 30 s each side
    Intermediate · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoHips highEasier: Knee side plankHarder: Side plank with leg lift
  2. Dead bug2 × 20
    Beginner · Abs, Hip flexors · 3D demoLower back pressed downEasier: Dead bug heel tapsHarder: Forearm plank

Landings

  1. Snapdown to athletic landing2 × 5, hold each landing for 2 s
    Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoQuiet landing, knees over the middle toes; squeeze your pelvic floor just before you land. Leave out with leaking, a prolapse, in pregnancy, or with a painful knee or ankleHarder: Box drop landing
  2. Single-leg hop and stick3 × 5 each leg
    Intermediate · Quads, Glutes, Calves · 3D demoOnly once two-leg landings are quiet; land through the foot to the heel and holdEasier: Standing broad jump with stuck landingHarder: Alternate-leg bounding

Pelvic floor

  1. Pelvic floor exercise (Kegel)8 holds of up to 10 s, then 8 quick squeezes
    Beginner · Pelvic floor · 3D demoRelax fully between squeezes

Cool-down

  1. Wall calf stretch (gastrocnemius)20 to 30 s each side
    Beginner · Calves · 3D demoBack heel downEasier: Seated calf stretch with a towelHarder: Heel-on-step calf and hamstring stretch
  2. Standing quad stretch20 to 30 s each side
    Beginner · Quads, Hip flexors · 3D demoHold a wallHarder: Couch stretch

Tips

  • Twice a week, on days without a class or before an easy one (our suggestion).
  • Build up your classes one at a time: in a survey, Zumba dancers who'd been injured took more classes a week than those who hadn't.
  • If your knee hurts, follow the pain rule in our knee pain guide, and stop for a knee that swells, locks or gives way.
  • Instructors need this most: in one survey they had about 7 times the odds of injury of the people they taught, and injuries rose with teaching hours in another.
  • Older or unsteady? Hold a support for the lunges and step-downs, and swap the landings for the balance moves in our strength and balance exercises for seniors.
  • Shoes: Zumba recommends cross-training or aerobic shoes with low-traction soles for turning. That's the brand's advice; no trial has tested shoes in dance fitness.

The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.

Guides that recommend it

Find more moves like these

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Strength workout for cyclists (gym)

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Questions people ask

How long does the dance fitness strength and landing workout: calves, ankles, hips, knees, trunk and quiet landings take?

About 40 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.

What equipment do I need?

You need: A wall, A step, A band, A bench or box, A dumbbell. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.

Is it suitable for me?

It is written at intermediate level. 14 of its 18 moves have an easier option listed beside them; use them freely.

How do I make it easier or harder?

Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.