Being in the marching band is a feat in physical strength and endurance. It involves carrying heavy instruments and marching in beat, and sometimes spans long parade routes or football fields. With that in mind, regular exercise may be the key to having your best marching season or gaining an advantage at the next competition. Here are the three areas and exercises you should focus on to improve your marching technique now:
Legs
Your legs, of course, are going to be a target area for a lot of your workouts, since they are receiving the brunt of the physical activity during a marching routine. Working your muscles with calf raises every day can vastly improve your leg strength. Practicing your marching routine in your own time can help adjust your muscles to the motion (as well as help you nail the choreography!).
Heart
Don't forget that your heart is a muscle, too! And just like the rest of your body, marching will certainly test its strength. To keep up with all the marching you'll be doing throughout the course of a season, upping your cardio endurance is important. Jogging or running every day is a great way to elevate your heart rate, and in no time all that marching will seem like a piece of cake.
Core
Your core and back are also crucial focal points to keep in mind during your daily workout routine, since these are the areas of your body that help carry your instrument and keep your balance. Regularly completing a series of squats and/or abdominal crunches will help tone and improve these areas.
For more marching band tips and techniques, contact Marching Show Concepts now!