Why you should take up ballet as an adult
Ballet might not seem like an obvious choice of exercise for many adults – most may associate the dance either with little girls mastering first position, or professional ballet dancers pirouetting around the stage.
However, an increasing number of adults are turning to ballet and ballet-inspired fitness classes to keep them in shape during adulthood, there are plenty of good reasons to do so.
Why is ballet good for us as we age?
For women in particular, with aging there can be seen a decline in bone density-building oestrogen. It’s important to perform resistance exercises that help build bone density, particularly after the menopause.
Ballet-based classes are great, as the body weight is manipulated to create resistance without putting a strain on joints. In fact, the exercise can be beneficial for joints – the flexibility involved in ballet mobilises them, creating more freedom and painless movement.
It’s important to work with a well-qualified ballet teacher who will ensure classes are taught safely, are well-balanced and are suitably structured for adult learners. The reason for this is to prevent injury, hence we always start our Ballet Body Sculpture classes with conditioning, alighting and strengthening exercising taken from Pilates and Yoga, to ensure the body is fully prepared prior to stepping into more intense ballet barre as well as practicing ballet technique.
The exercises involve strengthening core muscles, improve your cardiovascular fitness and sculpt each muscle group – helping you get closer to that enviably toned body of a dancer. Not only strong body but also flexible, maintaining your body youth and fighting the aging, no mater what age you start, bringing great benefits for both women and men.
See you at our classes! Xoxo
Source: goodhousekeeping.com