Ballet Dancers Enhance Their Fitness With Many Other Exercises

Dancing is considered one of the most enjoyable and complete workouts by many. However, dancing alone is not enough for the professional dancers of the Washington Ballet as they depend on many other exercises to stay fit and in shape.

According to the Washingtonian, the members of the dance company spend more than 30 hours a week dancing, apart from technique classes, rehearsals and stage performances. If there are new elements in the choreography, the rehearsals may last even longer. In between all this hustle-bustle, many dancers have taken to cross training to keep them fit and raise their endurance. The regime might vary from 45 minutes to one hour over 2-3 days a week.

Cardio has been considered an essential part of the regime to increase the dancer's stamina. There are a number of cardio workouts that these dancers depend upon, namely swimming, running on the treadmill or using the elliptical. It helps to strengthen the core muscles of their body. Some of the dancers also take to weight training and exercise balls to boost their endurance to a whole new level. Even during the off season, the dancers go to the gym and keep practicing their regular routine or take up jobs at other ballets to keep in shape and retain their strength and flexibility.

According to Pilates Bridge, another popular modern day exercise that many dancers prefer is the Pilates method. Developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20^th century, the Pilates technique comprises of controlled movements of the various parts of the body in order to increase and enhance muscle power and stamina. It consists of two forms namely Mat Work and Reformer workout.

As it is very important for the dancers to keep their muscles supple and firm so as to do the most difficult movements and steps properly, those adhering to the Pilates method find the rigorous tasks easier than others. Pilates can be done with or without props and is also very effective in reducing unwanted fat on various parts of the body. It consists of various techniques like single and double leg circles and bridges. 15 minutes of Pilates every day for 5 days a week is considered enough to keep the body it and firm. Perseverance and perfection seems the main mantra that pushes these ballet dancers to train hard and go for the additional workout regimes along with dancing.

TagsBallet Dancing, Washington DC, Fitness, Exercise, Health, Workout