#BBQuickTip Work within Your Range of Motion

Plié [plee-AY]: bent, bending.   As a dancer plié is one of the first steps you learn.  It is the foundation for many other steps and movements that you will perform as your training progresses such as pirouettes and jumps.  It’s also a wonderful way to workout your abs, legs and butt, and the foundation to many of our standing exercises. Here are a few things that can help you get the most out of your plié during your Ballet Beautiful workout. 1)   Work Within Your Range of Motion– Set up for your plié in a position that works best for your body.  Do not over rotate your feet and keep your knees over your toes as they bend. Be careful to not let you knees fall in front or behind your foot as you perform a plié.  We all have varying degrees of joint flexibility and to avoid injury do not force yourself into any positions. 2)    Perfect Posture– While executing a plié you want your body to stay in one long line reaching from floor to ceiling.  Let your Ballet Beautiful posture help you.  Pull up through your center, think of “zipping-up” your abs and sending your tailbone for the floor, keep your neck long and your chest open. 3)   Stretch your Knees– When moving through your plié you want to make sure that you come to straight (pulled up, not locked) knees at the top of your movement.  Engage through your whole leg as you straighten, especially the area right above your knee.  This will help to shape your “ballet muscles” and strengthen your joints. Try out your newfound plié knowledge by doing the “Cardio Series: Plié Workout” and find more helpful tips to get the most out of your workout in our Ballet Beautiful book.