I am not sure exactly how I stumbled upon Mary Helen Bowers‘ Instagram account, but I started following her and I am continually gobsmacked with her elegance, strength, and athleticism.  She danced throughout her entire pregnancy.  Her images make me want to be a ballet dancer!  Just look at her long, lean, powerful body!  She is the professional ballerina who trained Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan.  She danced with the New York City Ballet and is the founder of Ballet Beautiful.

Ballet Beautiful is “a total body workout from Mary Helen Bowers, Natalie Portman’s trainer for her Academy Award(R)-Winning Role in “Black Swan”! Get a tight, toned and elegant body with this ballet inspired workout! Sculpt sleek and strong legs, arms, butt, abs and upper body. Shape a lean and graceful dancer’s body with targeted mat work and standing exercises that lengthen and tone.”

OK, yes!  Sign me up.  I just purchased the Body Blast DVD and did two of the workouts yesterday {The DVD includes four-15 minute workouts}. It is very similar to barre classes if you are familiar with that type of exercise.   The Swan Arms workout was so incredibly difficult.  With no weights used, it is deceptively intense.  You simply moved your arms like a ballerina.  2 minutes into the work and my arms were burning!  I also did the Body Blast workout which included abs, bridges and arms.  All of the work includes small controlled movements in targeted areas.  It is going to be perfect for days that I have to squeeze a workout in at home.

I wonder.  If I buy ballet slippers and leg warmers do you think my legs would lengthen by five inches?  Hope so.

All images from Ballet Beautiful//Instagram.  Follow her.  You will love it!

I have just started a two week intensive boot camp.  It includes giving up caffeine, alcohol, dairy, sugar, and no refined white flour or white rice.  It sounds torturous, and at times it feels like it, but it is an amazing group of women.  Over 30 of us committed to health and supporting one another. There will be a lot of sweat, some grunting, a ton of laughing [and hopefully no puking!]

It means adding tons of veggies, healthy fats, balanced portions, and glasses and glasses of water. Our trainer suggests consuming half your body weight in ounces.   I will admit it-I am the worst about drinking water.  This will be one of my greatest challenges in the days to come.  To stay the course, I am going to have to jazz my water up!  Mixed fruit with ice may just do the trick.  Lemons with raspberries or oranges with blueberries sound delicious and interesting. Plus, I am a sucker for mason jars and paper straws.

How much water do you drink a day?  Are you a purest or do you jazz it up?

{Image via back on pointe}