How Ballet Can Benefit Your Health

The dance helps minimize falls as it improves balance and body awareness.

There’s a new fitness trend that is gracefully sweeping across social media. Recreational ballet. Beginning around age 40, balance is a vital skill associated with longevity and quality of life. In one study, 20 percent of people over 50 couldn’t balance on one leg for 10 seconds. Ballet classes often focus on single-leg balance and keeping your balance as you transfer weight from one position to another. The dance helps minimize falls as it improves balance and body awareness. It also combats muscle atrophy and loosens up stiff joints. Some physical therapy programs use it to treat conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis. Ballet is also a mental workout, it keeps you on your toes thinking about how to do the next movement. Want to get in on the action? Look for studios that offer recreational classes. It’s more common around here to find barre classes at gyms which practice ballet techniques and there are numerous online videos.