Info Archives - Page 14 of 27 - Adult Ballerina Project

Kristen Gillette July 8, 2013

VB6 Eating Plan and Other Updates

Last week, I stumbled upon Mark Bittman’s Vegan Before Six book/diet plan on Twitter, and thought it sounded like the perfect plan to get me eating better. Although I haven’t been able to get a hold of a copy of VB6 yet, the plan is pretty simple. Eat vegan and mostly unprocessed before 6, and then eat mostly normally, in moderation, after 6. I’ll be trying to eat healthier, although probably not vegan, dinners.

I’ve tried to cut back lately (and I’m so inspired by all the ladies I talked to about their clean eating), but it’s been a mostly failing effort. My biggest weakness seems to be mac and cheese and other forms of pasta.

I’ll be making a few slight changes to this meal plan, since I can’t seem to part with yogurt (I love Chobani, and I think otherwise I’d struggle with finding good sources of protein given that I’m a pretty picky eater). It’s also the reason I’ve dubbed this the diet of my childhood. I refused to eat cheese (except for the occasional pizza–go figure) and cream cheese and many other processed foods until my senior year of high school. I also weighed about 100 pounds as a result (although that’s not my goal here, I just want to develop a healthier lifestyle).

While I’ve done a lot of meal prepping and shopping for breakfast and lunch ideas (lots of fruits and veggies), I’ve yet to figure out what a lot of my dinner meals will be. I’m planning on attempting this avocado pasta sauce recipe with some whole wheat pasta tonight, but after that, I’ll probably be trying different combinations of stir frys and other healthy recipes. I’ve you’ve got healthy dinner ideas, feel free to send them this way so I don’t fall into a pasta rut again!

How do you figure out new and exciting healthy meals to eat?

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In other news, I will finally be heading back to ballet either tonight (probably not because I’m having some lower right calf pain, again, ugh) or Thursday. I really want to go tonight, but since it’s the advance class, I’m thinking it’s probably best to just chill out and not push it, but I’ll probably throw on some Kinesio tape and see how today goes.

Filed Under: Ballet, Blog, Info, Outside Class Tagged With: adult ballet, ballet, healthy eating, vb6, vegan Leave a Comment

Kelly July 2, 2013

How to Build 10 Foot PVC Ballet Barres

This article comes from Kelly on how to make full-sized PVC ballet barres, great for a studio or at home.

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This is the instructions/ measurements for ours that I made for Pulse Dance Studio in Bedford:

Barre measurements:

59.5″ cross bars (x2)

9.25″ spacer (x3)

27″ (adult) 16.25″ (baby) legs (x3)

10.75″ feet (x6)

(4) 90 deg. cross fitting

(3) 90 deg. tee fitting

(8) 90 deg. elbow fitting

(28) 8×3/4 screws

(1) can of PVC glue

1 1/4 in PVC pipe was used when we made these (it was the heavier kind from Lowes)

Cut PVC carefully to make everything even. I used a table miter saw. Dry fit and mark. Glue top elbow, spacer, and tee together (we didn’t glue to leg so we could swap out legs if we needed more tall ones or more short ones) glue feet. Dry fit bars and legs and drill holes straight through fitting and bar for screws so they can be disassembled if needed. Put in screws, you’re done!

Makes one ten foot double barre out of PVC 🙂

Filed Under: Ballet, Ballet Class, Info, Outside Class Tagged With: ballet, ballet barre, guest post, homemade barres 3 Comments

Kristen Gillette July 1, 2013

July Challenge Abs and Legs

My plan for July is to work on both my abs and legs with a challenge, considering I’ve slacked on both recently (I was a standard #plankaday participant for most of April and May before I started to slack off). Since I’ve had some free time (I missed ballet this weekend because of a stomach bug) and I’m taking off this weekend because of Fourth of July. Both ab strength and leg strength are essential in ballet. Here’s my challenge based off what I think I’ll be able to do:

I’ve chosen 3 of my favorite ab exercises and 3 of my favorite leg exercises, based on what I think will help me work out my own legs and abs based on what’s worked in the past. I’ll probably end up using my 3 pound weights in my hands for the lunges and eventually for the sumo squats.

Feel free to make adjustments as needed, and make sure you take a rest day each week. Let me know if you’re participating, I’d love to know how you’re doing with the challenge!

Filed Under: Info, Outside Class Tagged With: abs, abs and legs, ballet, legs, monthly challenge, workout 1 Comment

Caysie July 1, 2013

Dealing with Sore Muscles

The best thing you can do is stretch

Oh boy! I just finished my first class in a few weeks and I am hurtin’! It was a really strange circumstance of me leaving my studio just in time for the new studio to be closed for two weeks, then I was out of town. So It had been three weeks of no structured class. I have been stretching and trying to practice at home as much as possible but I think that there is definitely something to be said for the rigor of a structured class. I got to class a bit early to stretch and speak with the instructor and thought I was ready for anything- I couldn’t have been more wrong! Haha. It still surprises me, adjusting to my body as an adult and how it works, to see how just a little break in activity can send me right back to square one (okay maybe like square five, but still not where I was at!). I got home a sweaty mess, plopped down on the bed, and told my fiancé that I know I need to eat but I’m not sure how to go about it because 1. I can’t move my legs and 2. I’m nervous that the second I put food into my mouth I might throw up. Ok, I’m slightly dramatic but I really was whooped! I knew that I instantly needed to get on top of making sure my muscles don’t tighten up much because I knew if I didn’t I probably would be in a world of hurt tomorrow. I thought I’d share a few of my tips for avoiding that next day of crying when you drop your keys because you know how much it will hurt to pick them back up. 😉

1. Stretch it out: I like to lay on my back on the floor, stick my leg straight up at a 90 degree angle and just make slow circles of varying sizes with it. The slow motion really makes you stretch it out. Then I bring my leg straight over across my body for a while, bend it for a while, then I bring my knee to my chest. I also like to borrow some yoga moves like these here. I particularly love doing the cat, cow, child, and half downward dog because they feel so relaxing but they also really do stretch those muscles out. The key is to keep stretching throughout the day so that the lactic acid doesn’t settle in your muscles which is what makes you sore. It seems like the most obvious tip but I also think that it’s the first we forget.

2. Soak! I love a good, warm Lush Bath Bomb (or essential oil) and epsom salt bath. I find the that the combination of heat and scent take the epsom salt to the next level because you’re not just relaxing your muscles but your mind too. Personally, I get super stressed from being so busy and having a stressed mind leads to a tense body and there’s no amount of salt that can take that away. So lock the bathroom door, tell the kids or partner that you’re out of commission for 20 minutes and relax! I also enjoy partaking in a good foot soak, perfect for a dancer. I love trying new “recipes” that I find on pinterest. Today I tried one with green tea, baking soda, vinegar and epsom salt. The result wasn’t too pretty… the water, well it looked a little gross. However, my feet felt AMAZING after.

3. Enlist a loved one for a massage! This is self-explanatory and can be fun!

4. Fuel your body properly. This one is hard. There are so many different resources with conflicting ideas about what to eat in general, but when you add in what to eat for working out there are one thousand more ideas. What I have found that has really worked for my body is to have a protein AND carb heavy snack about an hour before I go to ballet. Something like bagel with peanut butter or hummus. Occasionally I throw an apple in as well. I also make sure to follow my class up with a balanced yet protein and fresh food heavy meal or snack. For example, today I had a burrito in a whole wheat tortilla with eggs inside, lots of lettuce, carrots, avocado, and cabbage. I feel that I almost always feel so much better when I have something that is substantial but not heavy. I’ve read in a few places that blueberries (or any antioxidant heavy food) work well because they soak up all the free radicals left. Anti-inflammatory foods like kelp, salmon, ginger, green tea, and sweet potatoes are also supposed to be really helpful in telling your muscles to calm the heck down. And, of course, stay hydrated!

5. Try some topical treatments like white flower oil, icy hot, peppermint oil, or salonpas. My personal favorite when it comes to this is to, right after my hot bath, rub a little white flower oil diluted in baby oil all over my legs, bottom, back, arms, and shoulders and then bundle up in warm clothes for a while. This really lets it soak into my muscles and feels SO nice.

6. Finally, don’t be too afraid of the occasional ibuprofen or Tylenol. Sometimes the pain is just too much to manage with home remedies and that’s totally fine. You don’t have to do without!

Hopefully some of these tips are helpful/new to at least one person. What do you do to keep the aches and pains away?

-Caysie

Filed Under: Ballet, Info, Outside Class Tagged With: adult ballerina project, adult beginner ballet, ballerina, ballet, flexibility, stretch 7 Comments

Kristen Gillette June 27, 2013

Calf Stretches for Ballet and Running

This one applies to you runner’s out there too: calf stretches. Both ballet and running cause me to get horribly tight calves and shin splints, but they’re getting slightly more manageable. Here’s some of my favorites:

Downward facing cat

Downward Facing Dog:

Arms should be shoulder width apart, legs hip width apart, balancing your legs equally. Knees can be bent if you’re a beginner. I like to alternate between keeping one knee straight and the other bent to feel a full stretch.

Runner’s Stretch:

This one’s really popular. Stand at a wall with your hands placed straight in front of you, with one leg bent in a lunge and the other extended behind you. Sometimes I have to bend my back knee ever so slightly to get a good stretch in this one as well ( I have hyper-extended knees).

Wall or stair stretch:

I don’t have any stairs in my apartment, so I often do this one just on a wall or on the foot of a ballet barre if I’m in class. Stand by a wall with one foot pressed up again the wall at an angle; or stretch one heel down off a stair while the other remains of the step.

Towel Stretch:

The same basic stretch you used to do in high school gym class with some help. Sitting on the floor, extend both legs out straight in front of you and wrap a towel or theraband around your feet and pull yourself down to your toes. While I can reach my toes, I like the extra stability this gives me. Another variation is to start by gripping the towel with a straight back and then lean back slightly to stretch the calves.

Foam Rolling:

The foam roller is my frenemy. It hurts but also helps so much. For calf tightness I like to roll both by shins and my calves. I roll my shins both at the same time which is pretty easy; I roll my calves individually by holding myself up with my arms with one leg crossed over the other.

I know there are lot more great stretches out there, so let’s hear them! What are your favorite ways to stretch out your calves?

Filed Under: Info, Outside Class Tagged With: ballet, calf stretches, downward facing cat, downward facing dog, foam roller, running, Shin splints Leave a Comment