Sara

After training Natalie Portman for her role in “Black Swan,” ballet dancer Mary Helen Bowers has re-released two ballet-inspired workout videos under new titles. I enjoyed them, but found the lack of modifications for people who do not have a ballet dancer’s turnout – practically everyone – was cause for concern. Even though, of course, ballet dancers are extremely strong, I also found it comically demoralizing that someone with such a non-muscular build could be that much stronger than I.

Here’s another workout DVD review that could be added to the “videos that sort-of make me think I’m going to die, yet I love them” list.

Leah Sarago’s three-part Ballet Body series incorporates elements of ballet, Pilates, yoga, and athletic moves. As always, you need to think about proper pelvic and spinal alignment while doing the exercises, but she’s pretty good at cuing correct positioning. The videos, aside from tremendous strength-building, incorporate a lot of flexibility and balance work. I put these in when I want to work really hard but don’t want the extreme cardio of Brooklyn Bridge or one of my kickboxing DVDs. She does not include a warm-up at all, so you want to make sure to warm up your muscles before starting these.

It's one of the most popular questions this time of year at the Library: Where do I vote?