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Ballerina legs, firm glutes and strong back in one method
Ballet Fit
Among the benefits of this training are the improvement of posture, flexibility gain, improves muscular performance or favors coordination, among others.
Ballet bar, pointe shoes, first position and… let the music play! Although ballet is one of the most disciplinary activities that exist, it is not necessary to have its knowledge to be able to perform Ballet Fit, the mix between this dance and fitness. Moreover, in this exercise many of its basic concepts are learned but with much more rhythm and always with the aim of working the whole body.
Because Ballet Fit, as Gloria Morales, its promoter in Spain and a graduate in Physical Education, tells us, does not understand isolated areas of the body, but rather exercises everything in a set with the intention of “lengthening the muscles” and gaining more range of movement: “Ballet Fit is an activity based on ballet exercises fused with fitness and that is why it is suitable for all types of people, even if they have no previous knowledge of this discipline.”
Among the benefits of this activity are improved posture, increased flexibility, improved muscle performance, promotes coordination, burns calories, releases toxins and accumulated fat, and has the benefit of connecting the mind with the body and increases self-esteem. .
This is the Ballet Fit workout that you can do daily, either in blocks or in combination.
To strengthen the back
If we are seated for a long time, the back notices it, and that is the reason that explains why experts advise that we get up from the seat at least every 30 or 50 minutes. However, exercise is essential for the health of our back, and the creator of Ballet Fit knows the exercises to strengthen it.
1 Exercise. We start with the legs apart and we bring our body forward, lengthening the back, which should remain as parallel as possible to the floor, while the tailbone is facing the wall. We inhale deeply and exhale, and on the exhale we go lower and lower. Then we are going to do small ups and downs of the back while we inhale and exhale, lowering as much as possible to stretch the lower back. Remember, as Gloria Morales says, go up with a round back and never suddenly.
2 Exercise. We start with our feet together and with the entire sole of the foot glued to the ground, with the intention of stretching vertically, as if we wanted to gain centimeters in height. We inhale and exhale while extending one of our arms to the opposite side, stretching our sides as much as possible. Then we change arms and repeat the same process in reverse. We repeat this exercise 8 times on each side.
3 Exercise. We do this exercise in the same posture as the previous exercise, with our feet together and our body completely straight, although this time we work both arms, each one taking them to one end, “as if we wanted to split ourselves in half”, raising them with the intention of reaching the ceiling and bending the knees in each descent, as if we were treating ourselves as a bird and wanting to take flight.
4 Exercise. Very similar to exercise 2 in which the arm is stretched at the other end, but this time we are going to finish the movement in a circle, bending the knees when the arms reach the lowest point. The intention is to want to draw a circle in the air. We are stretching as we tone. We repeat this exercise 8 times on each side.
5 Exercise. With this exercise, as Gloria Morales says, we work the crossed lines, with the right hand on top and the left leg behind. We are going to push the foot back until it is lifted and as if the arm were stretching us forward. We hold in the posture bending the knee for five seconds. Then we switch sides. We repeat this exercise 8 times on each side.
6 Exercise. We return to the initial exercise to stretch the lower back and seek a return to calm, we bring one of our hands to the opposite foot, and bend and straighten our knees as we inhale and exhale. Remember not to go straight up, but to bring your rounded back towards being fully stretched out.
To correct posture
No more walking hunched over and low-shouldered. Gloria Morales invites us to work the whole body in a Ballet Fit ‘full body’ to stylize the body.
Exercises 1 and 2. In second ballet position but with the feet in external opening we begin a plie. The left hand remains held on the bar while we do allongé, that is, we rise from the plié and bring our body towards the bar. We do eight repetitions.
Once these repetitions are finished, we place the arm above the head, we stay in plie and half point (raising the heels) and we give small bounces in that position. Again we do eight repetitions.
3 Exercise. We bring our heels to the ground and place ourselves in second ballet position, put the right arm parallel to the ground and make small bounces with the arm, keeping it parallel to the ground and varying the position of the wrist (up and down, with a fluid movement as if were you going to fly). We do eight repetitions.
Exercises 4 and 5. In front of the ballet bar, we flex the left leg and keep the right leg stretched back. From there we raise the right leg and make a bounce touching the ground with the foot bridge, then we flex that same leg forward. We repeat the movement eight times.
We rest both hands on the bar and with the left leg flexed and the right leg stretched back, we leave the left suspended in the air and while we bend the knee trying to touch the buttocks with the foot we are giving small bounces. We repeat the exercise eight times.
To harden legs and buttocks
The buttocks are one of the areas of the body that most concern us and that is the reason why the expert in Ballet Fit
Exercises 1 and 2. In the first position, with external opening of the feet and the hands resting on the bar, we do eight plies. When we have made these eight plies, and maintaining the same position, we do eight bounces.
3 Exercise. Then, and also in first position, we bring the right leg over the relevé, we perform eight plies at the time we inhale and on each exhale we bring the right heel to the ground. Once we have done the exercise, we do eight bounces in the same position. Once we have finished it, we repeat the same exercise but taking the left foot to relief.
4 Exercise. To do this exercise, we start from first position and perform eight plies while lifting both heels in relevé. Afterwards, and also in the plie position, we did eight rebounds in relief with both feet, touching the ground with our heels on each descent.
Exercises 5 and 6. We continue with Gloria Morales’ training, but now we start in second position, that is, the same as the first position but with our feet further apart. We do eight plies. When these eight plies have been done, we do eight bounces.
Exercise 7. Next, and also in second position, we take the right leg to relevé, that is, the heel comes off the ground, and we perform eight plies supporting the right heel on each descent. When these eight plies have been made, we bounce eight in the same position. Then remember to repeat the exercise but with the left foot.
Exercise 8. This exercise also starts in second position. We will do eight plies while raising and lowering both heels. Then, and keeping the plie, we do eight relevés with both heels.
To stretch and gain flexibility
Being flexible and having your muscles worked is essential to avoid injuries, and Gloria Morales knows how to return to calm after a hard training or simply to relax the body.
Exercises 1 and 2. We start in quadruped with the hand on the ground and we move the hips giving it amplitude doing circles with the right knee. We make eight circles and then in the opposite direction. Remember not to bend your elbows and not lower your back.
Once the eight repetitions of the circles are finished, we stay in the starting position and bring the right leg straight to the level of the hand (as far as you go) while the left is flexed. In this position we will swing, contracting and stretching the right leg forward with the knees bent and back with the leg fully extended. Like this, eight times.
When you have finished it, remember that you have to do it from the beginning with the other leg, in this case the left.
Exercises 3 and 4. We begin this exercise sitting on the calves, and we extend the right leg forward supporting the foot so that our leg creates an angle of 90º. Now we do eight swings back and forth, so that the leg is stretched when we bring the body back. You have to do this exercise eight times. With the leg straight, we support our buttocks on the heel of the left foot and do by bringing the nose to the knee lengthening the back and keeping it straight and not bent.
Once we have finished these eight repetitions, we do the same with the leg that we have not worked, in this case the left.
5 Exercise. Face up on the mat, we bring the right knee towards the chest for a few seconds and then we stretch the leg as much as we can without flexing the knee, and we alternate the pointed and flex feet for eight times. Remember that the foot has to try to bring itself to the height of the head. To facilitate the exercise, you can bend your left leg and rest it on the floor.
To relax the body you should lie on your back for a few seconds and not get up suddenly. When you are standing up, divide your body into two halves and touch the balls of your feet with your hands.