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Ever dreamed of having the elegance, length, and muscle tone of a ballerina? Well, now you can. Naturally Sassy, a global platform for all things health and fitness, features online workout classes that fuse classical ballet moves with strength and cardio (no, you don’t need years of dance experience to do it!).
Saskia Gregson-Williams aka Sassy, a professionally-trained ballet dancer, created Naturally Sassy after a career-ending injury when she found that doing just one hour of her self-made recovery routine produced the same physical results as six hours of dancing. Now, the Naturally Sassy Online Studio has members from 65 different countries and offers exercises for everyone from professional athletes to fitness beginners – glute-toning ballet routines, a soothing stretch sequence, ab sculpting moves, you name it.
Now, you can find Naturally Sassy workouts on FabFitFunTV (if you’re not a member yet, sign up today!). In the meantime, check out what Gregson-Williams had to say about what makes her workout method unique, why she loves helping people get into shape, and more.
What first sparked your love for fitness and dance?
Ballet became my world from a very early age. I loved the movement, the technical challenge, the performance, and grace. In my teens, I was training up to eight hours a day, vigorously competing for a professional position. The wear on my body became very apparent as I suffered from torn ligaments, impingements, tendonitis, and broken bones. Your body is your tool as a dancer and being injured is completely debilitating. I learned a lot from this time off, working with some of the best sports practitioners and exploring my passions outside the studio wall. I saw the importance of conditioning my body with exercises that weren’t in the ballet repertoire and became very interested in the mechanics of the body through movement. It was then that my love of fitness really blossomed and I saw how I could fuse the two training systems to create Ballet Blast.
What makes the Naturally Sassy method different from other kinds of workouts?
Unlike many fitness classes that feel like you’re clenching and shortening the muscles to feel the effect, this method is all about working at length and visualizing your extremities to create long lines and work all the muscles throughout the body. The exercises are a combination of moves you may have done with ballet postures that make the movement harder and more dynamic. You’re working a different group of muscles and lengthening, not cramping.
What are the benefits of your fitness method compared to other conditioning workouts?
In Ballet Blast, there’s a real focus on technique, alignment, and posture. Every exercise is low-impact, controlled, and positioned correctly to ensure you’re getting a full-body, results-driven workout. I want you to be able to transform your body with this workout and it all starts with making sure you’re in the right position. Ballet uses a lot of balances, which is key to activating your core; it doesn’t all come from the ab work!
The hero moves of this method, which are included in the FabFitFun video series, focus on four main areas: legs, glutes, abs, and arms. With every stream, you will be a little stronger, building muscle tone and gaining greater flexibility and mobility. Unlike many conditioning classes, all the movements are choreographed to allow you to focus on length, working the maximum amount of muscle with every step.
What’s been the most rewarding part of helping people get into shape and live healthier lifestyles?
Exercise and the effects it can have goes far beyond the hour I have with my clients and streamers. Exercise is tied in with feelings of self-confidence, guilt, clarity, fear, and commitment. Being able to transform a client’s mindset is a bigger goal for me than transforming their body. I know I can help anyone look toned, strong, and healthy if they commit to a consistent routine – but changing the way they feel about their bodies can change their entire life. Seeing this shift with the women I train is the most rewarding part of my work. They move, live, and interact with themselves in a far healthier and more loving way.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
