Marjolein Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 Is it possible to still improve my turnout and arch at the age of 18, and if so, how? And is there a way to make my upper back more flexible? Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 12, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 Marjolein, I think it is possible to improve at any age, however it may be a matter of degree, and of course how much work is put in. If you have been studying for a long time and have intensive training, improvement should be regularly continuing, however you might find that it is less dramatic than it was when you were younger. While you might not get a great deal more rotation or arch/instep, you can always improve how well you use them! For more flexibility in the upper back I would suggest Pilates classes. Link to comment
Marjolein Posted September 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2003 I live in Belgium, where there are no Pilates classes. Any other tips on improving my back flexibility? Any help is welcome! Link to comment
kitri81 Posted September 13, 2003 Report Share Posted September 13, 2003 Perhaps you could get ahold of a pilates video or book and then do the exercises on your own. Link to comment
Guest Paquita Posted September 14, 2003 Report Share Posted September 14, 2003 Yep, Pilates is great for the back. I have scoliosis and it helps. There are tons of good videos/DVDs out there (and I would probably recommend these over books, so you can actually see the entire movement as it should be), but I would just add to be careful with your body. Some pilates exercises look very simple and easy, but if you do them with the wrong alignment you will not benefit as much, and it can actually do some dammage! Not to scare you of course! I just think that with Pilates in particular, it is extremely helpful to go to a few "live" classes so that you have some understanding of it, and then work on your own at home. Although I don't know what to suggest since they don't offer Pilates in Belgium... (here in Canada and the US, it's so popular, they offer it almost everywhere!). I have never seriously practiced yoga, but I hear it can also help strengthen and stretch the back. Also, the New York City Ballet Workout (1 and 2) have a few exercises taken from Pilates, but they are chosen because anyone can do them (not just Pilates students). I think the video and DVD are on sale in different formats on nycballet.com . Link to comment
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