THE BALLET WORKOUT
Want a beautifully lean and toned body? Try this ballet-inspired workout three times a week, to get a tighter body in as little as three to four weeks.
Bonus tip: Keep your tummy taut during all of these moves to boost this routine's ab-flattening benefits.
The Move: Plie (pronounced plee-ay)
Targets: Inner thighs, butt, arms, shoulders
Stand with the heels of your feet together and your toes turned out to a 45-degree angle. This is your starting position. Extend your arms out to your sides, with elbows pointing up to the ceiling and slightly rounded. Slowly bend both knees, keeping them directly in line with your toes. Bend as far as you can without lifting your heels off the floor. Then, squeeze your butt and inner thighs as you slowly straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Do 40 in a row.
The Move: Plie Releve (pronounced plee-ay reh-leh-vay)
Targets: Inner Thighs, calves, butt, arms, shoulders
Begin in the same starting position as you did for the plie. Do the same move as above, but this time when you return to the starting position, squeeze your butt cheeks as you rise up onto the balls of your feet. Hold for one second (count "one-elephant"). Then lower your heels to the floor, pressing your inner thighs together. Return to starting position and repeat 15 times.
The Move: Passe Develope Extension (pronounced pass-ay develop-ay ex-ten-shun)
Targets: Fronts of thighs and calves
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keep arms by your sides. Point your toes and raise your right knee to your chest. Then extend your right leg straight up to the ceiling and flex your foot. Keeping your raised leg straight, gradually lower it to the floor. Finally, bend your right need so that you return to starting position, with foot flat on the floor. Repeat with left leg. Do 15 times on each side.
The Move: Attitude Rotation (pronounced att-i-tude ro-tay-shun)
Targets: Inner and outer thighs, calves, arms, shoulders
Stand with the heels of your feet together and your toes turned out to a 45-degree angle. This is the starting position. Lift your right leg about a foot off the floor, in front of your body, keeping your leg very straight. Without lowering it, slowly rotate your leg outward, so that your toes point straight up at the ceiling. Then rotate your leg back and lower it to starting position. Repeat with the other leg. Do 10 times with each leg.