SCULPTED AND DEFINED. SLIM AND TONED. PERFECT POSTURE.
What does Darcey Bussell do to maintain her fabulous body? Ballet, unlike other forms of exercise, does not bulk the body up, but rather defines and sculpts it. In this beautifully illustrated book, Darcey Bussell, one of the world's leading ballerinas, shows how you too can develop a body like a dancer. Combining Pilates, Floor Barre and stretching, this is Darcey’s daily exercise programme that keeps her in shape and ready for the stage. Pilates – strengthens, lengthens and tones muscles. Floor Barre – a full body-conditioning workout that targets the abdominals, the glutes, thighs, calves and arms. Stretch – keeps the body flexible and supple, boosts energy and improves posture. Follow Darcey's unique workout and you too can gain the poise and figure of a true performer.
Darcy's tips on maintaining a good posture
Think about your posture
Good posture is the key to having poise and confidence. This means it’s important to always think about how you do everyday things, such as sitting, standing and bending. Focus on how you use your body before you do an action. By far the best way to do this is to always pull your bellybutton to your spine and imagine a string pulling you upwards from the top of your head when you walk, stand up or even bend down. The principles of the Pilates, Floor Barre and stretch workout will help you to make this action second nature, but to help maintain good posture make sure you do the following when:
Sitting
Never sit with your legs crossed because it twists your hips and pelvis. Sit with your legs in parallel and feet flat on the floor. Also, try not to slump into a chair, but instead sit out of your hips and support your back by drawing your stomach in slightly.
Standing
Relax your knees when you’re standing so you’re not standing back into them. If you look at yourself in a mirror side on, standing back into your knees causes an unnatural curve in your lower back. Stand with your knees slightly bent and your tailbone will drop down and your body will stand straighter. A good way of knowing if you’re doing this correctly is to make sure your body weight is over your toes, not your heels. If your weight is settled into your heels, your shins will take the pressure and become tight and painful.
Walking
The only thing to remember here is to always walk with a heel-to-toe action (heel hits the ground first and rolls through to the toes), but don’t walk like a dancer on your heels and with turned out feet. It’s always good to stretch your calves after a long walk.
Bending and carrying children
Firstly, never pitch forwards to pick a child up, always bend your knees, squat and reach forwards. It’s the number one way to never hurt your back. Secondly, when carrying a child don’t lean back with the weight against you or your hip; hold your stomach in and stand straight so the weight is balanced upwards, not backwards or to the side. Thirdly, use your arms. I always hold my younger daughter Zoe under her bottom and in front of me, and then bend my knees slightly to support myself when walking around with her. Finally, with two young daughters who get envious when I’m holding one over the other, I’ve also learnt that the only way to hold them both is to come down to their level, sit on the floor and hug them there.
