Happy Thursday! Here’s a great lower body and leg workout that I love. If you want a greater challenge, you can hold weight at your chest.
Start by standing in a wide second position - for non-dancers, second position means toes legs apart wider than your hips and your feet turned out. To find your proper and stable turnout, you can gently raise and lower your toes and heels a few times. Bend your knees so they are right over your ankles - don’t strain your knees by trying to push your turnout or having too narrow of a stance.
Do at least 16 of each move!
Sink your hips down to their lowest point where you feel challenged. Your goal is to keep your thighs parallel to the floor! Engaging your inner thighs, lift your hips up slightly (no more than 6 inches) from there, then return to your low position.
Keep your knees bent and hips low the whole exercise to get the most work - you should feel this in your thighs for sure! Next, lift one heel and repeat, maintaining the bend in your legs. Then continue with alternating heel raises. Next, hold the bend in your legs (go an inch lower if you can!) and raise and lower both heels together. Raise both heels up and do small pulses at your lowest range - this is also a balance challenge! And you’re done!