How Ballet Changes Your Body

Many people understand ballet to be a classical dance form demanding grace and precision set in intricate, flowing patterns to create expression through movement. But what most do not know is that Ballet is an incredible workout for the whole body. No matter what age you begin, ballet can change your body¦..forever and for the better!

Ballet is a weight-bearing form of exercise which strengthens muscles, promotes healthy bones and burns calories. Because ballet uses the full range of muscles, it's also great for cognitive functions such as coordination and concentration. Ballet is great for posture and balance but did you know that ballet can also reduce the symptoms of depression, arthritis and diabetes? And there's more, ballet has also been shown to improve metabolic rates and have antidepressant effects.

Here are the top 6 ways ballet changes your body:

1. IMPROVES FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility may be the quality of bending easily without breaking, but did you know that ballet also increases your body's range of motion. With improved range of motion and the quality to bend without breaking, you are less likely to incur injuries.

Ballet training involves stretching of major and minor muscle groups in all parts of the body; legs, arms, torso, back, neck, feet¦ the list goes on. Through increased stretching with body weight exercises (which are all ballet exercises by the way), muscles become longer, stronger and more resistant to tearing or strain. The more you attend ballet classes, the more flexible your muscles will become.

As we get older, our muscles get tighter and shorter. We can't actually 'lengthen' our muscles past their point of maximum extension but we can keep them supple and encourage them to flex further with regular exercise.

Ballet classes incorporate elongation exercises that focus on smaller, postural muscles and a full range of motion - which are great for making lean, well flexed muscles.

2. IMPROVES POSTURE AND CONFIDENCE

Out of all the dance disciplines, ballet is probably the best form of exercise for improving and maintaining your posture. Every single exercise in a ballet class requires us to hold a strong posture and it's at the core of every position and move. You won't be asked to do any awkward or uncomfortable twists or back bends in a ballet class. Instead you always lift the upper back and extend the neck to protect the spine.

Ballet classes require constant attention to hold our core/abs strong and back straight whilst breathing through the exercises. Lifting the arms through the various positions allows us to create space in the spine. At the same time we are building supporting back muscles and releasing tension from the build up of bad positions, like sitting at a desk or looking down at our phones.

When you stand with better posture and get more comfortable in and out of ballet class, you appear and begin to feel more confident. As you continue with classes you will get to know your body and what it's capable of. You'll surprise yourself with your ability, strength and coordination and your confidence will continue to improve.

3. COORDINATION AND CONCENTRATION

Whether you are a beginner or advanced, your level of concentration in ballet will always surprise you. Ballet exercises usually require multitasking. Moving arms while turning and then connecting this to music in a specific sequence are an example of the constant concentration required in ballet. Working your cognitive functions to coordinate your body with music, will benefit your coordination in other areas of your life too. It can be tricky at first but the more you do this, the easier it will become and your brain and body will become more coordinated over time.

We rarely get it all right but just trying is great for our concentration skills and the more we do it, the better we get at it. There's science behind this: Exercise helps trigger endorphins. As well as being happy chemicals, endorphins improve the prioritizing functions of the brain. The best bit is that even after exercise, your ability to prioritize and think clearly improves.

4. IMPROVES BALANCE; PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY

Ballet is good for balance in so many ways. Every exercise in class requires physical balancing, at the barre or in the center. And everytime we practice balance, we improve it. Our brain sends messages to multiple muscles at the same time to hold, correct or compensate. The more we do this, the faster we learn and improve.

The exercises in ballet class range from slow to fast, to slow again. We focus on posture, balance, arms, legs, music and the coordination of all these things requiring balance in our bodies and minds. This is the essence of mindfulness and it's a great feeling that occurs in every class.

As the balance improves physically, it also improves mentally. All those flowing movements to the beautiful music are like a gentle massage for the whole body. We release tension, increase oxygen intake and expel toxins, which all results in a beautiful state of mental balance during and after class.

And while we balance, we increase our breath. During ballet it is important to breathe to provide the oxygen essential for muscle health, circulation, flexibility and fluidity. Put simply, the better we breathe during ballet, the better our physical and mental levels can become.

Every muscle in the body supports our inhalations and exhalations. When muscles are tense, it reduces our breathing capacity so big movements, like those we practice in ballet, help to relax muscles and improve breathing capacity. The more we practice good breathing techniques with relaxed muscles, the better our breathing techniques will become generally.

As well as being great for fitness levels and circulation, this is also good for reducing our anxiety levels and helping us cope with day to day stress.

5. IMPROVES BONE & MUSCLE STRENGTH

Because ballet is a weight-bearing exercise, it helps bones to grow healthy and increase in strength. Ballet, in conjunction with a healthy diet, can increase bone strength and prevent bone loss later in life. Additionally, because ballet strengthens muscles, bones are well supported and chance of injury is reduced.

You use so many muscles when you dance - to balance, bend, stretch, spring and jump. Each move strengthens and shapes the muscles. This reshaping of our muscles is what we call 'toning'. The beautiful thing about toning through ballet is that it's very hard to 'over-bulk' because we're only supporting and lifting our own body weight. At the same time we are constantly stretching the muscles - which elongates them and results in that great ballerina shape.

The exercises in ballet provide a wonderful way to improve muscle strength. Each bend, stretch, lift, jump and twist builds our muscles making them stronger. Repeated use of the same muscles increases strength more quickly. Each time we use a muscle, it heals and rebuilds to become stronger so even one class a week will benefit your muscles and make you stronger.

Muscle strength isn't just important for climbing the stairs and lifting boxes. People with low muscle strength were more than 50 percent more likely to suffer from injury than their ballet active peers. Having stronger muscles from the efforts of ballet can help prolong your life.

6. IMPROVES STAMINA & ENERGY

There are many studies proving exercise increases your energy levels and stamina, but a rigorous 60-90 minute ballet class is an ideal way to improve it. As long as you don't rest too much between exercises and keep your heart rate up, it will be a great work/rest balance for your muscles.

Here's the science bit... As we exercise, we increase circulation which works to strengthen the heart muscle. This results in increased energy available for our body - and not just during class, for a long time afterwards too. According to one study, exercise causes your brain to increase production of certain brain chemicals known to have antidepressant effects, boosting energy.

Ever marveled at those dancers who are leaving the dance studio, always full of energy and seem eternally positive? Well, it's a cycle: The more we dance, the more energy we have to do more and we feel great while we're doing it!

Because ballet is a total body workout, it increases your circulation, breathing rate and muscular activity which all contributes to elevating your metabolism. Dancing can elevate your metabolism 3-6 times above your resting metabolism.

So ballet is a great all over body workout. In a typical 60-90 minute ballet class, you will burn 400 to 600 calories. As we've already mentioned, ballet increases muscle mass and as your muscles grow, you will burn more calories at rest. This is how ballet changes your body!

We know that good physical and mental health is your top priority. It's ours too. Join our award winning school, voted Best Studio for 15 years in a row, and CHANGE YOUR LIFE THROUGH DANCE!