Work related cardiovascular load in professional dance teachers - a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Occupational Health
• Dance Pedagogy

Background:

• Limited research exists on the physical demands faced by dance teachers.
• Understanding the physical workload of dance teachers is crucial for their health and effectiveness.
• Previous findings suggest a need to consider the teaching load in this profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physical requirements and cardiovascular load experienced by dance teachers during lessons.
• To analyze heart rate (HR) data and perceived exertion in different dance styles.
• To determine if dance teaching contributes to endurance training and injury prevention.

Main Methods:

• Heart rate (HR) measurements were collected from 21 dance teachers (18 female, 3 male) across ballet, jazz/modern dance, and pre-school dance.
• Spiroergometry was used to determine maximum HR (HRmax) for objective data analysis.
• Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) was assessed post-lesson using the Borg scale.

Main Results:

• Average HR load during lessons ranged from 56.7% (ballet) to 63.6% (pre-school dance) of individual HRmax.
• No significant differences in teaching load were observed between the three dance styles.
• Correlations were found between RPE and cardiovascular load, particularly in jazz/modern dance.

Conclusions:

• Most dance lessons do not provide sufficient load for endurance training, potentially limiting aerobic fitness gains and injury prevention.
• Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) may be useful for estimating cardiovascular stress in jazz/modern dance.
• More research is required for accurate assessment of cardiovascular load during dance instruction.