{health} ballet inspired fitness

I grew up the girliest of girly girls. I did not participate in sports... I cheered on the sidelines for my friends & older brother. I did not strap on some sneakers and run around a field as an after-school extracurricular activity. I strapped on tap shoes, pointe shoes, and more. I wore leotards & tights, ballerina buns, & wrap skirts. I was a dancer, from the age of 3 until I injured my back at age 13. I may not still take traditional dance classes, or compete for my old company anymore, but I will always be a dancer. It's in my blooood. :)

Me in one of my first few years of dance - circa 1995. :)

I am... really... bad at motivating myself to push myself to my limits when I am exercising. I don't mind sweating... it's just that when the going gets tough, it is really easy for me to be like "waahh I'm tiredddd!" I know y'all have been there, too. :) I recently have discovered a bunch of ballet inspired workouts that I absolutely love! They are low-impact but extremely effective. I consider myself to be pretty in-shape, but after doing a 13 minute ballet-inspired workout routine, my legs were BURNING! (and were extremely sore the next day at that!) 

The greatest part about ballet-inspired fitness routines is that it is all about gaining lean muscle. It is achieved by combining strength exercises with a ton of stretching. If you like yoga & pilates, I think that you will love this style of exercise as well! Even if you are more of a runner, I think it is worth it to try out these exercises. You don't necessarily sweat too much, but you truly do feel the burn.

Here are a few videos and exercise links to try out!

Denise Austin's Ballet Dance Workout

New York City Ballet's Workout

Click through to see a Sunday-Saturday fitness routine.

Have y'all ever tried ballet-inspired fitness?