A typical one- to two-hour ballet class provides a full-body workout that can be an important part of your physical wellness program, regardless of your age and previous dance background. Although ballet is typically defined as an art, dancers are also athletes capable of achieving exceptionally high fitness levels. Whether you wish to pursue ballet professionally or merely as a hobby, you can take advantage of its numerous health benefits, but serious students should take note of certain risks associated with ongoing, intense training. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, or if you are recovering from an injury, speak to your doctor before signing up for a class.
Building Strength
Consistent, frequent training in ballet can help you build significant strength, especially in your back, core, leg and ankle muscles. Exercises performed routinely at the ballet barre are designed specifically to develop and train your muscles, according to dancer and author Eliza Gaynor Minden. Ballet’s extreme emphasis on proper alignment contributes to greater neck, shoulder and upper back strength, which can help with everyday activities, such as lifting, raking and shoveling. Ballet foot work and jumps gradually develop the muscles of your thighs, calves and ankles, which can improve your gait and protect your knees. The abdominal muscles that you engage almost constantly throughout a ballet workout can give you better balance.
Increasing Flexibility
According to the American Council on Exercise, consistent flexibility training contributes to greater freedom of movement, improves posture, releases muscle tension, promotes relaxation and reduces the risk of injury. Ballet requires extreme flexibility, and the exercises dancers perform routinely in the studio are designed to lengthen their muscles and maximize joint range of motion. Two to three ballet classes a week can boost your flexibility significantly and help you tap into the benefits of having longer, more supple muscles.
Cardiovascular Training
A typical ballet class is 60 to 90 minutes long, and a significant portion of class time is spent jumping and turning. Expect your heart and lungs to be challenged significantly during every class, particularly when you move away from the ballet barre for exercises performed in the center and across the floor. According to MayoClinic.com, cardiovascular exercise can help you burn calories and lose weight, prevent or manage certain illnesses, reduce stress, help you sleep at night and give you more energy during the day. The cardiovascular component of ballet offers these benefits to individuals who train conscientiously and consistently.
Cognitive and Emotional Benefits
Ballet training provides cognitive benefits that can impact positively on a dancer's well-being, regardless of her age. Children and young adults who train in ballet gain valuable experience from learning and rehearsing particular steps, coordinating arm and leg movements and manipulating choreography to fit with accompanying music. Angela Lund -- a dementia education specialist -- points out at MayoClinic.com that involvement in the arts -- including dance -- might improve cognitive health, particularly in older individuals who suffer from dementia. According to Lund, involvement in creative activities such as dance can improve cognitive and functional processes, contribute to better attention span and serve as an emotional release for seniors. Yu Shuhuai, an instructor who teaches ballet to older adults, thinks his students gain more than just strength and flexibility by attending his classes; he believes they are also happier, more relaxed and have greater self-confidence as a result of their dancing.
Risks
Although ballet can contribute positively to physical well-being, there are significant health risks associated with poor training and overtraining. Dancers who become overly focused on achieving the "ideal" ballet body are susceptible to excessive thinness and eating disorders, which can lead to a variety of serious health problems, including fatigue, cognitive impairment, phobias, decreased blood pressure, poor immune functioning, osteoporosis and infertility. Dance injuries – especially of the foot and ankle -- are also common among elite dancers. To reduce the likelihood of sustaining a ballet injury, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests dancers warm up thoroughly, eat and drink sufficiently before and after classes and use proper technique and alignment at all times. A dancer should never force her body beyond its natural limitations and should resist the temptation to dance through pain. If you are considering training in pointe shoes, get clearance from your ballet teacher, who will advise you when you have developed the necessary foot and ankle strength to dance en pointe safely.
Posted in: Fitness