Ballet Stunning: Rework Your Physique and Acquire the Power, Grace, and Focus of a Ballet Dancer

Motivating!
Many years ago, when I was in my late teens, I would read pretty much any magazine that I could get my hands on. I crammed all the beauty, diet, and exercise tips. Those were the days of supermodels. Now, celebrities have taken over, and the supermodel culture seems to be a thing of the past. I remember an interview with Paulina where she shared her beauty tips. Her number one beauty tip was the ubiquitous one that’s always shared: drink lots of water. She went on and on about water. I remember someone wrote back to the magazine and said that even if she were to drink all the water in Niagara Falls, she still would never look as good as Paulina. You see, genetics plays a huge role. Water is essential. We all know that, but let’s not rule out genetics!The same goes for the ballet approach to exercise. I love this book and I also love all the workouts that I’ve tried by Mary Helen Bowers. Those workouts make me cry. Trust me. They’re that painful. However, I also know that even if I were to do her workouts as often as recommended, my body will never look as good as hers or anywhere close to a ballerina’s. Again, genetics.Although I am highly skeptical that my endomorph body will transform into the “long, toned physique of a dancer,” I feel motivated to give it a try. As with any workout plan, I’m sure that there will be some benefit if I am consistent. I think that the key point to remember with any form of exercise is to do something you love and to stick with it. I may mark my calendar and give an update on this review after three months, six months, or even a year. I read that Natalie Portman transformed her body for her role in “Black Swan” (which I haven’t seen) by training under Mary Helen Bowers six days a week, as well as by swimming.Diet, of course, plays the main part, the usual 80/20 rule, although as I get older, I realize that it’s more like 90/10. The author addresses diet and has helpful suggestions and recipes.Her overall approach is a balanced one, reminding us to focus on the positive and to tune out negative thoughts. Another reason why I love this book.I’m not much of a book/paper workout type. I prefer DVDs. She has a streaming service also, which I dream of if our post-covid finances ever get straightened out. That service is not cheap! She has also a YouTube channel, but those clips are too short and not the real deal.Here are some of my favorite quotes/tips:Emotional Eating“The next time you find yourself thinking about or reaching for comfort foods, take these two steps:1. Take a deep breath and let it out.2. Then ask yourself if you are feeling physical hunger or if you are just tired, thirsty, or upset.If you take the time to become aware of whether what you are feeling is actual hunger or another feeling that is emotional in nature, then you give yourself the opportunity to break the unconscious habit of eating emotionally. These two steps may seem oversimplistic, but I assure you that they work. They can also help you make better choices about the food you eat when you are feeling emotionally overwhelmed and help you regain your inner balance. Why? Because all of us have the power to become aware of how we are feeling and to choose not to let that have an impact on what we eat.”Extremes“To achieve even the loftiest of goals, you must employ a simple approach that comes down to steady, consistent work, every day. This is an important part of Ballet Beautiful. I’m not asking you to starve yourself, to consume only lemon juice and maple syrup for 10 days straight, or even to give up all dairy, sweets, coffee, and wine. But I am asking you to focus on yourself every day. That might be a 15-minute workout, or a 60-minute workout, or swapping out your nightly dessert for fresh fruit.All you need to do is think about how you can take care of yourself, choose at least one thing from the program each day, and then focus on that.”Fasting“My clients ask me all the time for my thoughts on fasting. The answer? I’m not a fan. I worked hard to achieve a balanced, healthy lifestyle and would be very wary of anything that might disrupt it. I also think that cleansing encourages bingeing because of its built-in deprivation. While I enjoy the occasional green juice, now that I know the beauty of balance in a healthy lifestyle, I’m just not interested. You do not need to fast with Ballet Beautiful; you only need to focus on filling your body with whole, nourishing, delicious foods and giving your body a challenging workout. Satisfaction, not deprivation, is the word here.”Going for too long without food“One good rule of thumb is to eat something healthy every four hours and try to avoid getting ravenous.”“Sometimes life gets in the way and you go too long without food by accident. When this happens, I try to help my body by reaching first for proteins and healthy fats before I move into fiber and carbs to keep myself from (1) overeating and (2) feeling sick. This helps to satisfy me without going overboard.”Results“One of the most motivating features of the Ballet Beautiful program is its results! I have seen again and again how empowered and encouraged women feel when their bodies begin to lengthen and transform. I encourage my clients to commit at least three days a week to my program because that commitment allows enough time for the body to show real results in just a matter of weeks.”“When you eat well and work out at least 15 minutes six days a week, your body will thank you. And you will realize that you can indeed maintain balance.”Stay Active“Just as I don’t skip meals, I always find at least 15 minutes each day to work out. Even when my day lasts 16 hours, rushing from meetings and training sessions, writing for my blog, and managing my growing Ballet Beautiful business, I find a little time to move, just for me.”

Wonderful, really love it. I am now in her program Ballet Beautiful and is fantastic. I practice Ballet for years and I let it, with this book I recover the practice, the style, care my body and mind.

Formato molto buono, sia per testo che immagini. Il contenuto dell’autrice è ben strutturato, esercizi molto efficaci, consigli alimentari che rispettano la salute di corpo e mente. Consiglio l’acquisto a chi ami praticare danza classica o che non abbia ancora idee ben chiare su come gestire la propria salute dal punto di vista motorio e alimentare.

This book is great in conjunction with the DVD, as it gives you other exercises not on the DVD and also an eating plan which is very good.