My workout: ‘Ballet has given me strength’

Lauren Hibbert, 32, on why she loves to dance - I have always loved to dance. It’s a brilliant way to keep fit: it’s so much fun and doesn’t even feel like exercise. I’ve had lessons since I was little, everything from jazz and contemporary to street dance. Over the years, I started to realise ballet is the base of them all, and that my teachers were referring to moves and positions I wasn’t familiar with. I signed up for adult beginners’ classes, and now feel I’m learning not just a new style, but the fundamentals of movement.

The first half of the class is done on the barre (a long handrail you use for balance) and we concentrate mainly on footwork, doing moves such as tendu, rond de jambe and others with names I struggle to pronounce. Then we’ll do travelling exercises, where we move and pirouette across the room, performing “simple” choreographies. It’s a real challenge and gives me a huge sense of satisfaction.

We don’t always dance to classical music. More often than not we listen to jazz or music from Africa and Latin America. It works brilliantly with the steps, which can be slow and deliberate, or fast and exciting. Some moves require a fair amount of flexibility, and while my legs don’t go that high, I love how graceful ballet makes me feel.

Ballerinas will stand with one leg on the floor and the other way up in the air, and make it look effortless, but it involves a lot of strength, balance, stamina and concentration. It’s not vigorous – I don’t get hot and sweaty – but it’s a full-body workout. In the short time, I’ve been doing ballet, I’ve become fitter and more toned. My back’s straighter and everything feels more aligned. It’s a lot like yoga in that sense.

I’m never going to become a ballerina, but I feel I can manoeuvre better than I could before. It’s physically and mentally demanding and has given me a much better awareness of my body. Ballet has given me strength.