If you are a woman of a certain age whose sneakers feel as though they are made of Sakrete five minutes into a Jane Fonda workout, you still don`t have to bid farewell to body tone.
There`s a gentler alternative to keep from turning into a mound of cellulite. It`s a new exercise book that doesn`t resemble the Marine Corps boot camp training manual, Cynthia Gregory`s ”Ballet is the Best Exercise”
(Simon & Schuster, $17.95).
Gregory is a 21-year veteran of the American Ballet Theatre and one of the world`s most accomplished ballerinas. And though she is approaching her 40th birthday, she doesn`t pump iron, run or jog to keep fit and look sensational in tights.
Instead she follows a basic routine that she uses both for rehearsal and performances, and now shares in this book.
As a working ballerina, Gregory takes classes six days a week. ”I developed these exercises to use when I can`t get to a class, and have to warm up,” she said in a phone interview. ”Every dancer has his or her `barre`
exercises that they do. When I developed this book, I developed something I could take with me” when there was no barre at which to work.
USING WHAT YOU HAVE
Her routine can be done holding onto the back of a chair, a door jamb or a high chest of drawers, she said.
And Gregory did have the mature woman in mind when she wrote the book.
”I take ballet classes. There are always a lot of women in there in their 40s and 50s taking class along with the professionals who are all in good shape,” she said. ”They`re never going to be ballerinas, and don`t want to be ballerinas. I noticed they are always very trim, in good shape and have a poise about them.”
(Perhaps she is thinking, for one, of actress Joanne Woodward, who gives a testimonial blurb on the book jacket: ”For many years I have found ballet to be the best kind of exercise, both physically and mentally . . . a lovely way to work out.”)
When she took a summer off, Gregory did these exercises and stayed in shape, she said, adding that just a few days off for a ballerina can make muscle tone deteriorate and cause injury.
”It`s depressing,” Gregory said with a laugh. ”You think you`re in great condition and you`re not.”
The exercises in the book are modified for people who know nothing about ballet, she said. The routine ”is gentle, not so brutal as so many exercise routines are, and it winds you up slowly.”
With practice, the exercises can be done in about half an hour. ”When you do them to music you get more of a benefit,” Gregory said.
Ballet exercise not only has aerobic benefits without a lot of shock and stress but improves balance and posture as well, she said.
The first part of her book covers basics: using each part of your body correctly, techniques such as spotting (which dancers use to keep from getting dizzy when they turn), music as inspiration, guidelines to doing the exercises properly and appropriate dance clothes and shoes.
Next comes the actual exercise program, illustrated with step-by-step photographs of Gregory. Most are simple stretching exercises, similar to beginning yoga.
This is followed by a complete dance routine, with recommendations for appropriate music, that is a full workout in itself.
Women who are still feeling their youthful oats, or are naturally more athletic, can use Gregory`s routine as a warm-up for other activities.
”I know that their tennis game or their running would be a lot better. I see people just stretch the backs of their calves and go out and run. That worries me,” said Gregory, who is very conscious of the injuries improperly warmed up muscles can sustain. —
Cynthia Gregory will autograph copies of her book from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday at B. Dalton`s bookstore, 645 N. Michigan Ave.
