Fitness

The Only 3 Moves You Need to Get a Dancer's Body

Strong, sculpted limbs in minutes a day? Yes, please. Here, the ballet-inspired workout for a long, lean body

by Marissa DeSantis | 1 COMMENT

PHOTO 0/4

Plié Your Way to a Tighter Tush As a former ballerina with the NYCB, Rachel Piskin lived every little girl's dream of donning a tutu to dance coveted roles like Marie in "The Nutcracker." Now, Piskin has combined her professional training with her passion for ballet and fitness as the co-founder of Chaise Fitness Lounge in New York, and the creator of Ballet Bungee.

These moves, a mix of ballet and Pilates, should be done at an aerobic pace. By keeping your body in constant motion, you work your muscles the entire duration and burn more calories.

Overhead bungee cords are a major component in Piskin's Ballet Bungee, because, she says, they develop and strengthen muscles faster. At home, a stretchy rubber exercise band will get you the same results.

What You'll Get: This beginner plié move will warm up your muscles while strengthening your glutes, inner and outer thighs, hips, hamstrings and core.

Here's How: Begin with your feet in a wide second position (feet hip-distance apart, toes pointed out). With your exercise band folded in half, hold your arms out in front of you, with one end of the band in each hand. As you bend your knees into a plié, raise your arms over your head, and lower your arms as you straighten your legs back into starting position. Make sure to keep tension in the band as you continue, and keep your stomach muscles engaged.

Do This Many: Complete 2-3 sets of 20 pliés.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Tone Thighs With These Attitude Taps

EDITORS' BEST OF

12 Best Acne Products for Your Clearest Skin Yet

11 Best Tinted Moisturizers for Easy, On-the-Go Coverage

There's a reason the dancers you see on stage (or on TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance") look so good: They work hard … like 12-hours-a-day hard. Since most of us don't have the time or desire to work up that kind of sweat, we talked to former New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer Rachel Piskin and celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser of AKT In Motion to find out how us regular folk (you know, those not training for reality TV stardom) can get the body of a Balanchine muse -- in just three easy, do-anywhere moves a day.