BALLET BEAUTIFUL: LEAN LEGS AND BUNS

Just because we are heading into the festive season does not mean that we should neglect our health! The lean legs and buns of ballerinas are coveted by any girl at all times of the year. 

How do I know this? Because friends and clients constantly mention that, in keeping with their goal to get in better shape is the desire to have the same bodies they see when they peek at the NY City Ballet workout on Youtube.  One of my friends mentioned that you can tell a dancer, just by the way they walked and carried themselves

Being a dancer, I bought the book. About half of it is workouts, and the other half is about dancers and how ballet - and the fitness that comes from ballet - has affected their lives.  It is truly inspiring. 

It got me thinking about some of the work we teach in Pilates and the exercises I give my Ballet students for homework. One of their “favorites” is Bridging with a Difference. You will need a Yoga mat, a bottle of water, and a towel to complete this workout that can be modified to fit any skill level by adjusting reps and rest periods

Bridging with a Difference is done with the feet and knees together; a lot harder than the traditional Bridge with feet and knees hip width apart.  The bridge is great exercise that engages your abs, and also benefits for your butt, hips, and lower back. 

Variations of this exercise involve:

• Pulsing in the “bridge position” ( Try it)
• Bridging on demi-pointe (half toe). Bridge up on the count of ‘1’, open your knees out on the count of ‘2’. Close on the count of ‘3’ and lower the pelvis halfway on the count of ‘4’ 

Short on time and want to tone upper and lower body? Try the side lift Port de bras (that thing ballerinas do with their arms)

• Lying on your side propped up on one elbow, your underneath leg bent and your top leg straight try lifting your hips away from the floor as you take your top arm overhead… it’s the underneath one that’s working like crazy!
• Increase the challenge by keeping the underneath leg “glued” to your top leg.

With consistent practice you will be well on your way to being “Ballet Beautiful, just in time for summer!

Ballet Beautiful : Our  Lean Legs & Buns Workout at Iso Fit is an elegant, ballet-inspired lower-body workout that is designed to activate the core, burn fat, and tighten the inner and outer thighs, legs, hips, calves, abs, and butt through a unique series oparagonf target-toning bridge exercises that can be done anywhere using only a Yoga mat. Sculpt long, lean muscle as you re-shape your body into a sleek and sexy dancer's physique. Learn techniques to increase flexibility, firm the muscles of the lower body, improve posture, strengthen the core, and maintain the beauty, strength, and grace of a ballerina .You challenge all of the major muscles of the lower body with one of the best in the business, and find out key moves