Years ago, after my knee injury, I was desperate to find ways that would still give me a cardio workout without putting too much stress on my knees. This is when I came across Yoga Booty Ballet, a practice designed by Gillian Clark and Teigh McDonough for Beachbody. For anyone interested in dancing yoga, but too nervous to do it in a large studio, this is the kit for you!
The discs can be purchased separately or in kits, which also provide initial diet plans (which if you ask me, are rather unrealistic, even though it is only meant to be followed for one week) and a variety of different exercise types to suit your mood; ab workouts, cardio and straight up Booty Ballet. The workouts are a mix of yoga and ballet; some of the moves done while standing in one spot and others are a little more dynamic. All in all, the package offers an amazing workout and is fun to do. How often can we say that about exercise?
The brains behind Yoga Booty Ballet are Gillian and Teigh, who are both fitness and wellness professionals with backgrounds in both dance and yoga instruction. Initially, they started with classes and when they were a roaring success, DVDs weren’t far behind and neither was fame. Today, there is a Yoga Booty Ballet empire, with a variety of options of DVDs to suit your needs. My favourite is the Light and Easy. It gives a workout along with the peace that comes with a yoga practice, all without causing me much knee pain.
And true to its name, your bum will certainly appreciate all of the attention; the exercises are tough on the gluteal muscles and you’ll certainly be a little stiff the morning after your first practice. But it doesn’t take long for all of your hard work to pay off. After a month of consistent practice, I noticed a big change in my body and my strength level. Not only that, but the program is fun! Both instructors have a passion that is contagious and you can’t help but hoot and holler along with them when the pace picks up.
I’ll admit to having fallen off the Boot Ballet wagon as of late. But just writing about it has me eager to get back to the DVD player and get my butt back in action…literally.
Kelly
