How Ballet Can Help You and Your Health

Audrey Hepburn credited her stance and poise to her years of ballet training that she received in her younger years.

Though she never became a professional ballerina, her training proved beneficial to her personally and professionally as an actress.

In terms of physical conditioning, ballet ranks second only to soccer for building physical endurance, stamina, and flexibility. The following is an overview of the many benefits that come from learning ballet.

Coordination

Learning to move groups of muscles in a harmonious manner, while performing complex movements, pays dividends for the student of ballet. Dancers use fluidity, synchrony, and rhythm in every move.

Conditioning of the Core

Ballet is superior when it comes to strengthening muscles of the core, especially the back and abdomen, resulting in the flattening of the abdomen, a more defined waistline, and a greater resistance to back pain.

Leg Strength

Ballet is excellent for strengthening feet, ankles, and lower legs as well as increasing flexibility, a huge benefit for those who run, skate, or do a lot of walking. Even ballet novices will notice improved efficiency in how they move and will utilize less energy. Further, the strengthening and conditioning of the legs helps minimize the risk of injury.

Tighten Gluteal Muscles

Ballet dancers rely on the strength of their gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus to perform dance movements.

For athletes, strengthening of these muscles leads to increased lower body strength and reduces the risk of injury in the lower extremities. The ballet movement known as plies is particularly beneficial for this purpose.

Athleticism

The combination of grace and agility is what is called athleticism. For athletes, it is the ability to maintain balance and postural alignment when responding quickly to external forces.

Studies from the British Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrate that cross country skiers who practiced ballet improved their mobility and agility, and they experienced less injuries and back pain. Football players Herschel Walker and Walter Payton use ballet to supplement their conditioning.

Mental Value

Besides the increased strength, flexibility, and agility, more professional athletes, especially football players, are attracted to ballet because it also strengthens concentration, spatial awareness, awareness of sequencing, and pattern awareness. Also strengthened is the body-mind awareness.

Benefits for Children

For children, ballet offers a number of psychological and physical benefits. They gain discipline through the practice of ballet and by performing in front of others. Physically, they develop coordination, balance, and greater body control. Additionally, ballet is a great exercise.

Benefits for Teenagers

Ballet can positively impact the developing bodies of teenagers. Ballet increases muscle development in males while females develop toned, lean bodies without the muscular look. Both sexes will enjoy increased self-confidence, pride, a sense of accomplishment, and improved body appearance.

For those who decide to pursue ballet, nutritional habits improve as efforts are made to maintain body shape and conditioning.

For both children and teenagers, ballet provides social benefits by promoting team work, trust, cooperation, and communication. Children have overcome shyness and awkwardness as they gained confidence and discipline, and as they learned to perform in public. Also, ballet moves can be incorporated into other dance styles.