Even while practicing and dancing are workouts in and of themselves, it’s also our responsibility as the Rockettes to maintain peak physical condition throughout the year since we perform up to 16 shows per week during the holiday season. But one nice aspect of the off-season is that we get to experiment with exciting, energizing routines to mix things up. Here are some of the ways we like to remain in shape while we are not practicing or doing performances, from attending interval-based sessions to channeling our inner yogi:
1. Barre: Rockette Katelyn G. says she enjoys going to barre classes. The small isometric movements you perform in class are particularly beneficial for developing strength and long, lean muscle.
2. Cycling: Rockette Sarah S. says the one thing she requires in a workout when she’s not performing is a serious sweat session, which cycling gives her! She always feels powerful and prepared for the day when she leaves class. It also challenges her cardiovascular system and provides the same endurance training as a physically demanding rehearsal procedure.
3. Running Outdoors: Rockette Sarah G. says no matter the season, when she’s not instructing dance-based cardio fitness classes at Body By Simone in New York City, she’ll go for a run outside. I can explore the city in a manner that I wouldn’t ordinarily get to on my daily commute when she workout outdoors.
4. Ballroom Dancing: Rockette Alissa L. says Ballroom dancing is currently her preferred exercise regimen. She attends lessons at Dance With Me Midtown four to five days each week. It keeps her dancing and on the move while also working muscles she doesn’t always use in shows. Most importantly, though, is that it’s a blast!
5. Jump Rope: Rockette Lindsay H. says, she enjoys getting in shape with a brand-new NYC-based workout called The Rope when she’s not performing with the Rockettes! A jump rope works out your entire body. It’s one of the coolest workouts in the industry, incredibly inventive, and entertaining too!
6. HIIT and Pilates: Rockette Megan L. says I prefer to make sure my weekly training schedule includes a range of various exercise classes. I go to at least one dancing class every day, and I alternate between HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and SLT (a total-body workout that combines cardio, strength training, and pilates).
7. Yoga: Rockette Courtney R. says Yoga is a great complement to spinning, even though she enjoys spinning because it is such a great cardio workout (She loves the HIIT courses at Flywheel!). It gives her a sense of stability and is a great way to develop her flexibility.
8. Barry’s Bootcamp: Rockette Sam B. says Barry’s Bootcamp is great. It’s an interval-based session with sprints on the treadmill that each day focuses on a different body region. She always feels incredibly inspired and powerful after that class.
9. Dance Cardio: Rockette Danelle M. she prefers more social exercises where she can bust her butt and have a good time without realizing she’s exercising. But dance cardio classes are her favorite. They support her in keeping up and improving her technique, pushing herself to try new things, and enjoying good music. At the end of every lesson, she’s smiling while working up a good sweat. To her, that’s a win.
