Yoga, Pilates and bike riding?

[Guest *Victoria*]

Hello. I have been doing ballet for about 4 months now and i want to improve my general fitness and flexability. Is yoga good or are pilates better? also is bike riding good as i dont think it damages the knees?

 

any other ideas would be usefull

 

thankyou

victoria.

[Victoria Leigh]

Victoria, there are a number of people on the board who love Yoga, however I feel that Pilates is really geared more for the dancer and can do more for your flexibility. Some bike riding is okay, as long as you don't do it excessively, as it can build the quad muscles with some people. Pilates and more ballet classes would be my first recommendation.

[Guest dance4life87]

wow I must say that pilates is like the best! I promise you it works really well it imptoves your center, gives you better balance, and improves flexibility! I haven't taken yoga but I do know that Pilates is great!

[Guest *Victoria*]

thankyou for the help. There is place near me that offers a pilates class so i might join there.

Im also in the middle of organising more ballet classes!

 

Victoria

[Guest dance4life87]

im sorry but i dont live in england so i wouldnt know:/ but once you find a place if you remember the names you can just do them at home , or you can buy a pilates video probably too.

[Guest Makayla]

I have a book called The Pilates Body, by Brooke Siler.

I have boughten movies, and I also have paid almost $100 Canadian for the Winsor Pilates videos.

NOTHING has been more informative, instructional and good as this book I have. This book tells you exactly how to do the exercise, and also tells you the goals, keys,no-no's, and possible modifications.

It is all exercises without machines or any items needed (actually small weights are used in the arm exercises).

(of course going to a trainer is the optimum choice.. but if that's not available, then there are choices of buying books or videos)

 

The Winsor Pilates videos are okay, in my opinion. But I HIGHLY suggest buying this book, or possibly a different one first and get to know how to do all the exercises properly before even listening to the Winsor Pilates videos.

They don't have nearly enough instructions, and a beginner would be lead in the wrong path, and do the exercises improperly and not get the full benifit.

I do the Winsor Pilates videos with my mother, who is not in shape yet. She also has a bad back and leg, and it took us a week to be able to go through the whole video easily without stopping because Mari goes through the exercise and THEN shows you the modified version. She also doesn't explain things enough, which caused me to have to pause and show my mother how to do the exercises correctly.

 

haha, Sorry.. I went a little into detail I have a very strong opinion about those Winsor Pilates videos... and get a little worked up when I talk about their flaws.

 

I hope I helped!

 

(by the way, the author of The Pilates Body, was trained by Romana Kryzanowska, who studied directly from Joseph Pilates. Therefore... the exercises are the origional ones, created by Joseph Pilates. )

[Guest *Victoria*]

thanks for the help

[Guest DWMA24]

I take pilates, and LOVE it! At the beginning of last year, I was about one and a half feet off the ground in my splits. Now I can slide down into my splits easily.

[Mel Johnson]

Hi, DWMA24, and welcome to the Young Dancers' Forums here at Ballet Talk on Ballet Alert! Online! These boards are intended for questions and comments about ballet technique and performance issues, so your anecdote about Pilates fits right in perfectly!