The Ballerina Body Vs. Model Body

When you think of a ballerina's body and a model's body, you probably think they're very similar -- both thin and in shape. Although a majority of ballerinas and models are thin, their body structures are completely different. A ballerina's body is more muscular and mostly formed by many hours of dancing, while a model's body is more thin and toned and formed by the pressure of her career.

A stereotypical ballerina's body is tall and thin. Because the body produces the art of ballet, all ballerinas are up for critique and feel the pressure to be thin. According to dancer Jenifer Ringer, who played the Sugar Plum Fairy in “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” New York City Ballet has dancers of every body type. While many envision the skinny, slim ballerina, there are tall, petite, athletic and curvy ballerina dancers in the NYCB and throughout the world. A ballerina requires muscular strength that each of the different body types have because of their constant dancing. They need that strength to not only dance, but to support their partners, as well.

Just like ballerinas, there are models of every shape and size. As former supermodel Tyra Banks said, "girls of all kinds can be beautiful -- from the thin, plus-sized, short, very tall... and all in between." Unfortunately, the media tends to focus on the models who are thin. Body image and self-esteem take a toll on models to keep their weight down. Justin Gelband, also known as the Model Whisperer, says there's not one model who doesn't have to work for her body. Models put in endless time and energy to keep every area tight while strutting down the runway.

These ballerina body workouts mainly focus on your butt, thighs, hips and core. For your hips and butt, start by standing with your heels together and toes apart to form a V. Hold onto a sturdy object for support. Slide your left leg back towards 7 o'clock. Keeping your hips in place, lift your left foot a few inches up. Flex and pulse slowly for 30 seconds, then pulse faster for 30 more seconds. Point your toes and pulse slowly for 30 seconds, then faster for another 30 seconds. Still keeping your hips in place, draw tiny circles in the air for 15 seconds in each direction. Switch legs and repeat each exercise.

To get a model body, you don't need to work out every single day, according to Justin Gelband. Instead of the typical crunches, his workouts consist of balancing moves to work the core and other muscles. The workouts include Archer's plank, the single-arm superman, butt lifter and hip-and-thigh blaster, which should be done three days a week. For each set you complete, change the angle of your arms or legs -- depending on which exercise you're doing. This allows you to target every muscle. Along with these exercises, include 30 to 40 minutes of cardio three to four days of the week.

Don't work yourself too hard to strive for those super-thin ballerinas or models you see. Remember that both ballerinas and models come in all shapes and sizes. Working yourself past your point of tolerance will only cause pain or injury, which will require one to two days off to heal or even more -- depending on the extent of your injury.