Ballet

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Sigh. You graceful ballerina. What is it about the allure of your long lines, "I got my ish together" posture and cloud-walking glide? Watching a ballerina on the move always reminds us it would probably be a good idea to unfurl our hunchbacked shoulders every now and then (like our moms told us to!). One ballerina we're crushing on in particular? Misty Copeland, soloist at the American Ballet Theater and spokeswoman for Dr. Pepper.

Not only is the girl ridiculously talented and uber graceful, she's also got a strong physique and hot bod to boot. "It's one of the few art forms that you have to start at such a young age. It really takes years to shape and mold the body," says Copeland, who took her first ballet class on a Boys & Girls Club basketball court.

Since some of us may not be able to dedicate years to the craft, Copeland gives us a for-dummies-style guide to the first building block of ballet: the Plie. "The technique creates these long, lean muscles so you're incredibly strong but in a delicate way," she says. "Something as simple as the plie will strengthen your quads, inner thighs, and calf muscles." One move to ballerina legs? Done.

Read on for the move.

If you ever wondered why the cast of Black Swan has such amazing bodies, the arabesque may be the answer to your question. This traditional ballet extension works the entire backside, acting as the engine to power the leg into the air. Many barre studios took note of the effect arabesque had on bums and followed suit by adding it to their daily repertoire. Even some yogis can be found taking a pose in this parallel position. Here's how to make the arabesque part of your fitness routine so you'll be rocking that ballet booty in no time!

Start by walking your body away from a chair or barre until your arms are straight and your chest is parallel to the floor.

Learn how to do the move (and a more challenging variation) after the break!

Actress Emily Blunt teamed up with Matt Damon, her co-star of The Adjustment Bureau, for the March covers of Women's and Men's Health. It's the first time that the two magazines have ever shared cover models, and they could not have picked a better pair. Here's what Emily told the magazine about getting in shape to play a ballet dancer for the film:

"I looked like an aerobics teacher. My shoulders puffed out, my back looked like there was a barrel of snakes in it and I had an eight-pack."

Emily is thrilled with the results — the actress feels toned, defined, and "muscle-ly." Benoit-Swan Pouffer, the film's choreographer, told Dance Magazine that he got Emily in shape by putting her through a boot-camp-style workout that included dance training with Pouffer and working with a Tracy Anderson Method trainer. On average, Emily worked out for almost fours hours every day during the month that led up to filming; once filming began, she continued her sessions with Pouffer and also hit the gym. Even though the training was exhausting, Emily pulled it off and transformed herself into a dancer for the film's three performances: a solo, a duet, and a group number.

A workout is a workout, but how we get our sweat on changes with the times. The recession seems to be influencing our fitness lives, from ditching running shoes to skipping fancy classes. Dance workouts are rising in popularity, and the ancient art of yoga continues to spawn hybrids. Read on for highlights of the fitness trends from 2010.

• Running sans sneakers: The buzz about barefoot running has been building for a few years now, but this year the trend seems to have fully blossomed. We see seasoned runners logging miles fully dressed minus footwear or wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes. We even tested the barefoot running waters, and while the experience didn't sway us to ditch our sneaks, it did make us interested in trying a less fortified shoe.
• Just dance: Whether shaking your booty with Zumba or working your backside in a balletic arabesque, dance is back! Maybe the popular reality TV shows featuring dance have helped the revival. Skip the Barre Method and try an actual ballet class like Natalie Portman in Black Swan.
• Working it old school: Gone are the fancy props and expensive equipment; nothing is cooler these days than working out with your own body weight. Circuit training, featuring push-ups and lunges, pull-ups and squats, is all the rage. Bring on the burpee and squat thrust yourself back into shape.
• Yoga mixes with everything: The age old practice of yoga seems to mix with anything. This year, we learned about Snowga (that's yoga on the ski slopes) and Paddleboard yoga (yoga on the water). You can even mix some roundhouse kicks with your down dog and try Koga — that's a hybrid of kickboxing and yoga.
• Trying a tri: Mixing three disciplines in one race is surely a challenge, but it's one that more and more people are taking on. The triathlon frenzy has been growing for the past decade, and there are no signs of the trend slowing down. Mixing three disciplines into one training schedule is a great way to prevent overuse injuries, a common threat to endurance sport fanatics. Plus it feels hard core!

Source: Flickr User lululemonathletica

Stirred by Black Swan, Natalie Portman's dramatic body transformation, and my regular practice of the Bar Method, a ballet and dance based strength training and toning program, I recently ordered my first pair of Capezio shoes since childhood and signed up for ballet.

The class, which was offered at my gym, promised to help me "discover my inner ballerina" with classical ballet technique for beginners and intermediate students. While fit enough to keep up in most exercise classes and graceful enough to stay under the radar on the dance floor, a dancer I am not. To find out what happened when I took center stage, and what you can expect from a beginner ballet class, keep reading.