Building back up to ballet

[beckyl]

For various reasons I haven't been in the studio since February. My class has now re-started but I have recently had a health scare which meant I lost some weight very quickly. Thankfully I'm fine (if a bit mentally fragile!) I probably plan to go back to ballet soon (I have also temporarily had to put my jazz classes on hold.) Which ways can I build myself back up to it? Is it a case of some pilates and gentle yoga or do I launch myself back into ballet and ballet moves (and know my already tight hamstrings will hate me for it!)

[Kate_N]

Pilates is great, so is yoga -- although yoga can be quite tough, I find! Also: try to take a longish (30-40 mins) walk each day at a speed which makes you just out of breath, but still able to talk. Gets the heart rate up, and gets all the major muscle groups moving. Make sure you do that after you start back at class too!

 

I run (I used the Couch to 5K app) as a way of keeping fit for balet. It really helps with fitness & strength I find. The Couch to 5k programme is downloadable from the NHS website (or an App store such as iTunes) and takes you in a very gentle graded series training sessions from walking to running non-stop for 20-30 minutes. It took me a couple of months to work through it, but it's now so easy to run (slowly) for 30 minutes and I feel the effects in ballet class, because I can jump without getting out of breath, and my legs are very strong, so in class I can worry about technique rather than basic strength.

 

I know running isn't for everybody -- I really thought it wasn't for me, but it's been great over the last 2 years to build gradually in aerobic fitness -- it means ballet & contemporary class, plus PIlates, are all building on a basic level of  fitness.

[Thecatsmother]

V small things like buying a Theraband and doing some foot exercises plus even some gentle stretching at home will help. Feet and calf strength always takes time to come back.

 

Good luck