Jun
24
Although an unorthodox way to lose weight at best, ballet is actually a very good example of resistance training. This is because a ballet dancer uses his or her own weight with every move on the barre or floor, or even during “airborne” moments. So if you’re considering an out-of-the-box way to get sinewy and graceful, and shed pounds at the same time, consider taking up ballet. Yes, even as an adult!
If you think your current weight is ideal for your height, then ballet is best to maintain that weight. Studies show that ballet dancers who dance and do barre exercises for roughly ninety minutes lose over 350 calories. Everything involved in a ballet class, from using your pointe shoes to stand on your tippy-toes, to doing a pirouette, to a plie, and just about everything in-between, is a great example of resistance training. So the next time you see a seemingly sylph-like ballet dancer doing those moves as if effortlessly….think again! It takes the strength of an industrious dock worker to make everything look seamless.
Also, the secret to those long, lithe, lissome bodies underneath the leotards and tights is a disciplined and balanced diet consisting of (yes) carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Fatty foods should be avoided before a session on the dance floor because you may get indigestion problems (not a flattering thing to have when you’re bent over and a partner is planning to lift you in the air…well, you get my drift). Carbs and protein are vital to obtaining glycogen, the stored glucose in a human body that translates into energy during exercise. An excess of such, of course, turns into fat. So moderation is always the key.
Now, back to ballet. Even if you’re in your late twenties or early thirties or any other “‘ties” for that matter, there are adult ballet classes you can enroll in. Beginners classes are encouraged for those without an iota of ballet experience, and a lot of dance schools offer a tailor-made program for certain age groups and fitness levels. Barre work comes after you learn the basic ballet steps, and this is where your serious toning up and flexibilty may occur. I say “may” because an hour of regular ballet classes usually spells turned out legs and strengthened arms and a torso, but everything may go to seed if you don’t warm up and do your ballet stretches regularly. As mentioned above, it’s discipline, discipline, and discipline all the way.
If you keep at it and make ballet a part of your daily habit (not necessarily in a dance studio, mind), you can fully expect great posture and grace, as well as a unique cardiovascular fitness scheme to cherish and be proud of.