How To Get A Firm Bum

What’s the easiest way to get a firm butt? A good old dance.

When we think of dancing, it’s rarely considered a real workout because it’s fun. Yet, with its amazing ability to burn calories, dancing is fast becoming the failsafe strategy for those of us looking to get their derrieres in shape.

Karen from Karen Hardy Dance Studios shares with TLL the 5 dances that will better that bum in a beat.

1. The slap

Works well with house music and will work your glute muscles.

How to do it: Start standing with your legs about 2 feet apart. Bend your right knee and lift it up to hip height as you hop up off your left foot and brush the top of your right knee with your left hand (as if you’re trying to brush off some lint). Step down quickly and repeat the move bending your left knee up, hopping off your right foot, and brushing with your right hand. The accent of this move is ‘up’ rather than down into the floor.

2. Twerk

There is no doubt among party workout enthusiasts, that twerking is a great way to improve the shape of your booty.

How to do it: Bend and straighten your legs along with the rhythm of the music. You can also shake and move your booty as you twerk. To do the regular twerk, just arch your back and then hallow it out, letting your booty move up and down, up and down.

3. Plies

Plies in 1st and 2nd position are usually reserved for ballerinas, but they work your butt muscles to create the perfect shape.

How to do it: Start in 1st position, heels together, toes apart, legs straight. Slowly bend knees as far as possible while keeping heels on the floor and tracking knees over toes. Straighten back by spiraling inner thigh muscles forward and engaging the glutes. Move to 2nd position, hips slightly wider than hip-width, toes pointing out, legs straight. Slowly bend knees as far as possible while keeping heels on the floor and tracking knees over toes.

4. Body rolls

The dance itself is a series of shimmies, hip rolls and figure 8 motions that count as a low impact cardio exercise that can burn as much as 300 calories per hour.

How to do it: Take a wide sumo stance (a wide squat with your toes pointed slightly outward). Your thighs should be almost parallel to the ground, with your arms out to the sides for balance. Staying low to the ground, rotate your pelvis clockwise, using your butt and chest to exaggerate the motion. Continue rotating to the beat, and switch directions at every chorus.

5. Kennis pulls

This workout also helps work the hips, abs and arms.

How to do it: Start with a wide stance with your knees slightly bent. Without lifting your feet off the ground, twist your hips to the left and extend both fists in the same direction. Then, bring both fists in toward your waist as you turn your left leg to the side and stick your butt out to the right. Then, reach both fists out to the right side as you simultaneously bring your toes back to center and twist to the right side. Again, bring your fists in toward your waist as you turn your right toes to the right side, and stick your butt out to the left.

Continue alternating sides until you’re comfortable. Then, try a single-single-double combo. In other words, left-right-left-left, then right-left-right-right – your butt should pop to the beat.