Setting Up Your At-Home Studio Hi Ballet Beauties! Master trainer, Nicholas, here. I hope everyone is doing well and feeling good. During periods of adjustment and uncertainty, I find it helpful to lean on my community for support and find an outlet that helps me refocus my mind on self care. At Ballet Beautiful, we hope to bring a form of fitness and self care to the comfort of your own home. I'm happy to announce that our virtual Ballet Beautiful LIVE classes are now back. Even though our SoHo studio is temporarily closed, there is still a way to connect and train with with Master Ballet Beautiful NYC trainers, online! We’re very excited to be able to bring our classes to everyone around the world and have had amazing response from our Beauties! Seeing our clients smiling and laughing during class has brought us so much joy. The community we’ve built is very special and I, along with the rest of the Ballet Beautiful team, really hope to see more of you in class throughout the coming weeks. Through my experience of doing Ballet Beautiful around the world and now at home, I've gathered some tips to help you all set up your beautiful at-home studios. Let's start with the basics: All you need is a mat or a large towel. Position your mat however it fits best in the space you're using. Get creative! Comfort is key! Tip 1: Speaking of comfort, sometimes during my workout, if I feel discomfort in my hipbone or tailbone, I fold my mat to double the thickness and place it under the area of discomfort. Tip 2: I like to have an additional small towel easily accessible for my workouts. I use the towel as a reminder for which side I just worked out but also, to wipe the sweat away of course! It can even be used as a stretching tool. Tip 3: Interacting with your Ballet Beautiful Trainer during class maximizes your workout experience. Positioning your chosen viewing device to participate in class is the first step. I prefer to have my computer elevated on my coffee table with the screen pointed downward towards my mat. However, I’ve worked with clients who prefer their device on the floor and that works too! Mary Helen often places her computer or device on the floor and moves it around when she is training online. As long as you are connected to the internet, you can easily move your device around throughout class to get the best view of your screen. Do keep in mind the part of your body we’re targeting in each exercise so that your trainer can see your legs, arms, or whatever the focus the workout may be on your screen. While taking the online Ballet Beautiful LIVE group classes, I encourage you to have your camera on. Ballet Beautiful is a safe community, free of judgement and we take this very seriously. Your fitness and health goals are important to us. Let in some natural light, the more light the better, and allow your trainer to see you. If you trainer is able to better see you, they will be better able to assist you with modifications or corrections, and the better your workout will be! Tip 4: If you want more of a challenge during class you can always incorporate hand weights, resistance bands, or a Bosu ball/dome. Hand weights can be put on your ankles for inner/outer thigh exercises for more intensity. They can also be used during the standing portion of class for higher intensity arm toning. We generally recommend 1-3llb hand weights, depending on how you feel and how much challenge you are ready for. The equipment additions are completely optional! So don’t worry if you prefer to keep your workout simple, you’ll still feel that toning burn throughout class! Tip 5: Don't forget, stay hydrated! Your body will thank you post-workout. I've included some pictures below of my at home set-up along with images shared by trainers Lucy and Kara. I hope this post helps guide you when setting up your own Ballet Beautiful studio and I hope to see everyone in an upcoming Ballet Beautiful LIVE class soon! Stay safe, stay healthy -Nicholas Getting started with Ballet Beautiful LIVE is just a click away! To register and train with us today, click here! For questions or assistance, please email customerservice@balletbeautiful.com My Workout Space At Home! Kara's At-Home Studio Lucy's At-Home Workout Space