How do breakdancers avoid breaking their necks?

Street dancer for the primary time from 15 countriesalong with a girl from the Refugee Olympic Teamfight for gold, silver and bronze, Breakdance will make its debut on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Sport has come a great distance from its origins within the BronxBut the body-contorting, mind-boggling moves once seen only in playgrounds and street festivals will now thrill billions of spectators world wide.

When you first see Breakout, you might be amazed that folks may even perform these moves without injuring themselves.

As a former dancer, currently a performing arts physiotherapist and biomechanics researcher, I study how dancers twist and bend their bodies in unexpected ways. I train them to have the option to perform safely even once they push their bodies to the limit.

Breakdancers – also often known as B-Boys, B-Girls or Breakers – not only must give you creative moves, they must develop incredible strength and body control to tug them off – and nothing is as intimidating because the headspin.

No routine when breaking

Breaking is a type of street dance that developed within the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies and has influences from hip hop, martial arts and gymnastics.

At the Olympic Games, two athletes compete against one another at the identical time in improvised competitions during which the competitors take turns attempting to outdo one another with their best moves and elegance.

A jury evaluates the dancers based on five criteria: Originality, technique, musicality, execution and vocabulary, which refers back to the range of movements used. It is analogous in some ways to gymnastics or figure skating, but due to the backwards and forwards between the 2 competitors, breaking requires so much more improvisation.

Fighting requires athletes to be extremely versatile and react to the talents of their opponents, meaning that those with probably the most robust and varied training protocols have the very best likelihood of scoring probably the most points and coming away unscathed.

The headspin particularly requires strong neck muscles and will puzzle some spectators. How can breakers spin on their skulls while supporting their body weight without breaking their necks?

The biomechanics of the pinnacle spin

Although there is just not much research on the precise mechanics of headspins, A spinning top might help explain how this amazing trick works..

A rotating object maintains its rotational state as a result of what’s often known as the conservation of angular momentum. When the thing rotates around a vertical axis, gravity doesn’t cause it to decelerate or tip over. Only when friction slows the rotation or the thing begins to wobble does gravity do the job and let it fall.

So, to perform a headspin, breakers must ensure they're spinning fast enough – and that their upper body is stiff enough. To maintain a smooth spin, the upper body must be placed as vertically as possible on the pinnacle and the neck muscles must be stiff to support it – all while avoiding any bending or strain on the neck.

Breakers can modulate the speed of the rotation by moving their legs and arms closer to or away from the axis of rotation. They also can stop, start or speed up by pumping their arms.

When a crusher rotates, the rotational forces can actually reduce the downward pressure on the pinnacle. It may even cause some slipping and displacement of the pinnacle along the bottom.

Head spinning may look easy for elite B-boys and B-girls, nevertheless it puts a variety of strain on the neck and may result in serious injuries.

A study showed that although breakers didn’t have greater neck flexibility than non-breakers, They had significantly more neck strength in all neck movements and in maintaining the neutral position, which is crucial for achieving a headspin. Another study showed that nearly half of all breakers report neck pain and tension.

There is even a term for a spinal cord injury brought on by extreme stress on the neck from fractures, first described within the New England Journal of Medicine in 1985: “Breakdance neck.”

So, to all of you who’re competing on the world stage for the primary time: good luck – but not your neck.