Photo by Lorenzo Sernicola via Flickr

When a teacher tells a dancer to lift the arches of the foot, you’d think it’s a simple instruction with no room for misinterpretation. Think again.

Are you doing it wrong?

Following our recent post on arches (Fact or Myth: Do high heels strengthen the foot arch), we’ll show you one surprisingly simple exercise to lift and strengthen your arches, while avoiding overusing the wrong muscles.

Actually, we’ll get Australian dance physiotherapist Lisa Howell to show you with her short and sweet video on the topic.

She calls it the ‘holy grail of arch control’. And if you’re one of those dancers unwittingly gripping the wrong muscles/tendons to lift your arches (like I was), then this little video certainly will feel like the most highly-prized holy secret you’ve ever discovered.

It’s an old video, but a must-see for dancers and dance teachers alike…

Did this video help you? Let us know your thoughts and suggestions on arch control in the comments below.

Photo by Andrea Rinaldi via Flickr

Sorry ladies, this one’s definitely a myth, and a dangerous one at that, especially for a dancer.

According to the Journal of Experimental Biology, researchers have found that the Achilles tendon of women who wear high heels actually thicken over time and stiffen permanently.

In fact, high heel wearers are found to have muscle fibres around 13% shorter than women who wear flat shoes. Yikes!

Also, high heels worn for extended periods will put pressure on your metatarsal heads, which already take a great deal of pressure with every jump and relevé in the ballet class.

You’ll be far better off by treating your feet kindly in-between dance classes by wearing flat shoes that cushion your soles and support the feet and ankles (like running shoes, ankle boots or lace-ups).

Rather reserve those killer heels for special occasions (preferably where you don’t have to do too much standing), and make sure to gently stretch out your calves afterwards.