Ballet Beautiful at Home: Abs and Arms Exercises

GET A LONG, GRACEFUL BODY WORTHY OF THE BALLET WITH THESE EXERCISES FROM BALLET BEAUTIFUL FOUNDER MARY HELEN BOWERS. JETE, PLIE, AND GO!

Dips:

Ballerinas have strong yet elegant upper bodies! Ballet Beautiful dips target muscles in your arms and center without using weights. You don't need a gym to sculpt a lean, toned upper body! To get started, place your hands just behind your hips with your feet in front of you with the knees bent. Keep your chest open and the stomach pulled flat. Beginners may keep the hands facing front toward your toes and the feet flat, and keep both feet on the floor. Pull in and lift the hips off of the floor, stretching the elbows. If advanced, lift the heels to demi-point, rotating the hands away from you, while extending extend one knee high. Bend the elbows slightly and straighten. Repeat 30 times.

Push Backs:

A beautiful weightless exercise that will tone your arms, shoulder center and back from your living room! Begin sitting up straight. Bend the elbows and place the hands slightly behind the hips. Pull in through the stomach and open the chest. Stretch the arms straight back behind you and then bend again. Repeat 30 times, and then repeat again with same form, slightly higher.

Swan Arms:

Begin either standing or sitting up straight, pulling in through the stomach and opening the chest. Pull in through the stomach and open the chest. Keep the neck long and stretch the arms out side, to second position. Drop and bend the elbows down, lowering the arms. Then lift the elbows and raise the arms from the elbow. Lower again, and lift, keeping lifted through your center and open through your chest. Repeat 30 times.

Abs With a Twist:

The key to a dancer's strong center of balance begins with building strong abdominals! This exercise targets muscles throughout your center—your lower and upper abs and through your oblique muscles on the side of your abdomen. Begin seated on the floor with the legs slightly bent. Open the arms to first position, pulling the stomach in flat. Twist to one side with the arms in first, keeping your chest open and your abs engaged. Lift and change sides, pulling in with your stomach the entire time. Repeat 30 times.

Bicycles:

This is a terrific exercise for building strength and definition in your center and your waist. Begin on a mat or the floor with your legs extended ling in front of you. Bend one knee into the chest, pulling in tightly through your lower abs and lift the extended leg up off of the floor. Keep the stomach pulled in and lift the arms out to first position as you change legs while keeping the feet off of the floor. Repeat 20 times.