Instead of making a New Year’s resolution to “lose weight” or “get healthy” why don’t we try making a resolution to “have fun?”
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to have enough energy to meet all challenges. When we are strong physically, it’s easier to feel strong emotionally. I attribute a lot of my energy to Pilates, ballet, and yoga because all three help me find my center and stay balanced physically and mentally. If you care about your body, you take care of your body.
I love a fusion of ballet, Pilates and yoga because I think the three marry really well together. As a working mom of two young children I also have to be creative about how to find the time to exercise, it’s much more fun to do together! I have some favorite DVDs that are fun for the whole family.
Dancing together creates an instant happy environment. We tend to favor music over the TV in our house, my children are happiest when music is on (so am I). If you want to have a blast with your children try: Wii “Just Dance,” and Tracy Anderson Method Dance Cardio Workout with the children, I also recommend the New York City Ballet: the Complete Workout, for your dancer body.
Dance workouts are all the rage because they are FUN; especially if you can do it with little people! There are many places offering belly dancing and Zumba classes; grab a friend and go together. It’s much more fun to dance with a partner! Also, these are all things that can be done inside, when the weather is bad.
Ballet is my favorite! It’s one of the oldest forms of exercise. There are movements that have evolved over hundreds of years and are specifically designed to embellish the beauty and grace of the dancer.
Ballet today is the result of centuries of learning how a dancer’s body can be made strong and svelte while asserting itself with beautiful daintiness. Ballet is an exercise that is also an art form; because of this, it’s never boring! Ballet requires you to move and to stand in a particular and balanced way. It benefits your coordination, posture, flexibility even your emotional well-being. I love that the mind is in tune with the body with breathing, concentration, control, strengthening smaller muscle groups to pull in longer muscles there is not bulk. Dancing can give you beautiful posture, sleek muscles, longer limbs that make you appear taller, a strong core, and flexibility. To me, a ballerina’s body is the most beautiful: long, lean, athletic, and feminine. Ballet can actually change the shape of your body into a feminine and graceful structure. It is possible to have a dancer’s body and not be a dancer! 
Ballet targets and tones specific muscles that you don’t use in other sports. Because of this, many athletes have looked to ballet as a rewarding form of exercise. I think of Emmitt Smith, Lynn Swann , and Herschel Walker who have a dance background. Emmitt was so much fun to watch in Dancing with the Stars; he was quick and light on his feet. Football is dancing around a ball. There is choreography, allegro, across the floor, agility, balance, rhythm… That’s the benefit to practicing dance; you can carry it over into other activities that enhance what you already do.
I enjoy Tracy Anderson and think it would be a blast to go out dancing with her. At our house, we move the coffee table to the side and dance like crazy to the techno music that my husband says puts him in a trance. Tracy Anderson trains big celebrities like: Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakira , and Courtney Cox to name just a few. She is ballet based and has a background in Pilates. I really like how she uses low weights and high reps. Joseph Pilates set out to make the core of the body really strong, this is why so many dancers do Pilates.
Dancing is one of life’s most enjoyable experiences! Discover a new world of beauty for you and your body. Find a friend or a little person and “Just Dance!” The fun you have will make you want to continue what you have started.
