There are many benefits of starting ballet training as an adult. However, many people think that classical ballet can only be learned in childhood. Phrases like ‘I would have loved to dance ballet’, ‘I liked it a lot, but I had to give it up?’, ‘it couldn’t be’, are very common. Dance is ageless and can be learned and enjoyed at any stage of life, even starting from scratch. Just as you read it.
It also has so many benefits that it may be one of the best decisions you have ever made. Dancing, whatever the chosen style, is an excellent cardiovascular activity. It also allows the development of coordination, strength, elasticity, endurance and a sense of musicality. We work the entire body and release endorphins. But in the case of classical ballet, it has some specific advantages.
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Improves your elasticity
Both flexibility and elasticity are essential to execute the movements of this dance. That is why performing them constantly will improve your ability to perform certain movements more fluently. Your muscles and tendons become more elastic and at the same time, more resistant. To sum up, you’ll be able to perform positions and movements that were impossible for you before.
Learn the basic positions and movements here:
Helps to correct your posture
The spine, pelvis, and lower extremities have the dubious honour of bearing the effects of your bodily vices. For example, poor posture when sitting in the office, typing on the computer, driving, bending over, sitting down and even walking. All this results in back pain, head pain, lumbar pain, physical problems (hump, bulging belly) and also a bad appearance. A bad posture can give you a deteriorated image while a good one will make you look slimmer and, of course, more elegant.
Good posture comes from core strength. So, ballet is good for improving your overall posture because it works the core muscles: back, hips and glutes as well as abdominal muscles. Ballet makes them strong to give you proper alignment and thus achieve correct postures. It is an ideal way to re-educate your posture.
Relax and release adrenaline
Ballet is healthy for the mind too. The adrenaline, released by the adrenal glands, will make you feel more alive and happy, and therefore, more relaxed. That is why this type of dance will help you rest better.
Improves your concentration
As we have seen, training the body and calming the mind are the two fundamental steps of this activity. So, concentration, serenity and confidence will go hand in hand with them. On the other hand, dancing ballet means handling a lot of information simultaneously: music, technique, arms, legs, the direction of the head, space, etc. As you will see, it’s a lot. So, if you want to perform the choreographies correctly, your only option will be to be focused.
The daily practice of such an amount of data generates improvements in the retention and accumulation of information. You learn faster and faster, and above all, you can keep your focus where you want it for a long time. Your cognitive capacity rises considerably, and you can apply this in all aspects of your life.
Ballet rejuvenates you
Dancing or any sports practice is essential to fight against ageing. Or at least to grow old without losing the quality of life. Ballet achieves it more than enough, since as we said, in addition to exercising the body, it also exercises the mind. In this way, the ageing processes are delayed and slowed down, both in the body and the brain. It is, perhaps, one of the best benefits of starting ballet training as an adult, and we remind you again, that you can start in this discipline whatever your age, as long as you want to improve yourself, break stereotypes and try new things.
Improves your balance
Ballet works to balance, a capacity that is lost with age. That helps to prevent falls in old age. Having a good balance is crucial to perform a passé, an attitude or a pirouette. So if you practice ballet, little by little you will develop your balance.
Improves your coordination
Coordination is a quality or physical ability that allows you to perform a series of movements in an organized and directed way. Also, it is a conscious training of the body, which, with practice and a lot of repetition of some movements, can be improved.
In ballet, coordination is the ability to perform different physical movements following the rhythm of the music to generate the appropriate movements.
In addition to moving in coordination with the rhythm of the music, coordination between people interferes in dance many times. This coordination can be with the dance partner or in a group of dancers.
It prevents illnesses
Following a choreography has its advantages. Trying to follow the steps correctly and coordinate the movements exercises your memory. This characteristic has been analyzed in several studies that have shown that dancing has a very beneficial impact on brain plasticity, flexible thinking and self-control. Also, ballet helps to reverse the loss of volume in the hippocampus – the part of the brain that controls movement and memory – delaying the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
As for diseases, other researchers have also found that dance reduces total cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disorders and also of suffering from osteoporosis because it prevents the loss of bone mass and strengthens the bones. So, this is another of the best benefits of adult ballet training.
Improves your social interaction
Let’s say that the daily challenge of dancing is to force yourself and go against your own modesty and insecurities and go into the centre of the room to perform the steps. And you are going to meet people in the same situation. That results in instant empathy. The circle of your friends grows with ballet.
Strengthens self-discipline
Practising ballet requires perseverance, commitment and effort, and the key is self-discipline. As you realize the demands of ballet, you begin to become more and more aware of the need to train. That makes you spend more time ballet and strengthen your willpower. On the other hand, in a ballet class, there are many rules that you must respect. For example, listening to the teacher, and a very strict code of hair and dress. Believe it or not, these rules will help you in your everyday life. Ballet classes are a great opportunity to improve as a person and to learn to challenge yourself and achieve your goals.
Helps you lose weight
And last but not least, ballet tones muscles, lengthens them, helps burn fat and calories, works the abdominal area, helps improve posture and enhances self-control. It is estimated that in a single class, you can burn about 200-250 calories. This dance will help you achieve a more elegant and stylized figure. In about 3 months, you can start to see results (attending classes at least twice a week). Remember to also have a healthy and balanced diet.
Conclusion
If you are passionate about ballet, make up your mind, look for a Dance School, buy some ballet shoes, a nice bodysuit, a pair of tights and a skirt. As you can see, there are many benefits of adult ballet training. As long as it is not your goal to become a professional dancer, it is never too late to start. I hope my article has convinced you of the advantages of practising ballet. So, what are you waiting for?
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