STRICTLY Come Dancing fans are injuring themselves by copying the stars’ moves.
A quarter of armchair fans have ended up with injured feet - just like actress Ali Bastian, 26, who "severely bruised" her foot during a rehearsal on Monday, the latest in a long line of Strictly Come Dancingcasualties this series.
And with nearly half of the show's fans admitting to practicing dance moves at home, experts are warning of a dramatic increase in foot and ankle injuries.
They also say a two-fold increase in back and spinal injuries is likely, as fans replicate moves which left Rachel Stevens with a back injury in Series Six.
As most Brits do not exercise the recommended five times a week, suddenly attempting complex dance moves is leading to a medley of short and long term health problems, according to the MBT Academy.
Ex-Strictly professional dancer, Andrew Cuerden, said: "Good general fitness, core strength and posture are vital for ballroom dancing.
"Without these both celebrities and armchair enthusiasts will risk injury and disappointment on the dance floor."
Series Seven of Strictly Come Dancing has seen the most stars injured.
In addition to Ali Bastian, Phil Tuffnell has suffered cartilage damage, Ricki Groves developed tendonitis in his leg, Laila Rouass sprained her ankle and Jade Johnson suffered a knee joint injury.
Five tips to dance safely:
1. Remember to warm up and cool down (warm up with gentle movement to increase the heart rate and get the blood flowing to the big muscles and joints in the legs and back; cool down by keeping moving after you dance for up to fifteen minutes and stretching the legs to keep them supple)
2. With ballroom dance in particular, there are often long breaks between dances - keep your body warm during these breaks so your muscles don't get tight
3. Maintain your fitness outside of the dance studio with activity such as walking and stretching along with core exercises such as Pilates to keep the back strong and flexible
4. Ditch the car and walk more, even short distances act as exercise.
