Why is it Important to Build A Fit, Flexible, & Healthy Body?

Posted on Jan 22, 2012 in HEALTH & COOKING

Is your New Year’s Resolution to become healthier? Sleep earlier? Exercise more? Become more flexible?

 


If any of those are one of your main goals for the new year, I have you covered. I promised many of you that I will do a new and more detailed exercise video, and I was finally able to make time to edit and upload it as my 1st video of 2012. :) I worked especially hard on this one not to displease my viewers who waited for it for a long time. For those of you who already watched the video, thank you! I was really excited to see all the positive feedback, and am glad it was helpful.<3

So speaking of New Year’s Resolutions, one of mine is to sleep earlier. When I have dance all day and dance again the following day, I can fall right asleep. But on a day off, even if I tell myself I’m definitely going to sleep at 12am, I end up staying awake until 3am or even 4, 5am editing, replying to messages, surfing the internet, etc. because all the other days, I am dancing from morning to night. If you are the type of person who has trouble falling asleep, it’s simple—exercise! There are tons of products out there to “help you to relax and sleep well.” But why spend the extra money if you can do something easy and healthy for your body at home that will also allow you to fall asleep right away?

This video will show you easy-to-follow and challenging exercises that will help burn those calories, as well as stretches that will improve your flexibility, make you relax, and let your body sleep well at the end of the day. :)


Why is exercising and stretching daily so important? 

Exercising every day will improve your circulation and help your body to use oxygen better. It will also increase energy level so you can do more activities without becoming tired or short of breath. Although ballet dancers make it look very light and graceful when dancing on the stage, they are very powerful, and professional ballet classes require a ton of  stamina. Exercise can also improve balance, strengthen bones, increase endurance, help you reach a healthy weight, make you feel healthy, and boost your self-esteem. I truly believe beauty comes from within, and doing good things for your body will make you look and feel better. Workouts can even help to reduce stress, anxiety, tension, and depression.

You may think “I don’t need to exercise that much. I walk a lot… and I’m still young.” But what about later? Cardiovascular disease (heart disease) is one of the most dangerous diseases you can get when you’re older. When your arteries start to stiffen, it puts you at a greater risk of developing the disease. One way to help prevent that is to stretch. Studies showed that people who were less flexible (ex: unable to reach to or beyond their toes in the sit-and-stretch test) are more likely to have higher systolic blood pressure. Becoming more flexible will significantly improve the flexibility of the carotid artery, which carries oxygen-rich blood to the brain. If that is blocked, it can cause ischemic stroke.

Stretching will also improve the range of motion of your joints. If you dance or do any kind of sport, this is why stretching is so crucial. Like I showed in the video, it’s important to warm up your body with light activity first. Then, you can do your workout exercises, and save the biggest stretches for last. When you do the stretches, be sure you are gentle. Once you have gotten more comfortable in being in a stretch position, then you can go further, but never push yourself too much.

Whichever ballet studio or company I went to, I was always the most flexible one and people told me I was so “lucky.” But actually, I was not born with my flexibility. I worked for it—every single day. I even have a photo that my mom took of me the first day I finally got the splits. (If I can find the photo, I will share it with you in a future video.) This time’s video was geared more towards workouts so I didn’t do too much stretching, but I will do a video just on stretching in the future for those of you who requested it. :) I just wanted to tell you that it is possible if you can be hard on yourself. I actually teach children ballet, too, and a girl who came into my class in October was very far from her splits… but she is a very hardworking girl, and finally got them 2 weeks ago. It reminded me of when I first started dancing, and I was super happy for her. :)

Exercising and stretching for just 5 minutes truly makes a difference. Not only will it help to keep you fit, but will make you feel better and give you cardiovascular benefits. I hope that you will try out some of the exercises and stretches with me in the video. Phew~ end of a super long post! I have to wake up at 5am tomorrow for performances. ><; Going to sleep now. Happy exercising!<3

 

xo Melodee

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