This article was previously published on March 22, 2017.
Julianne Hough, former Dancing with the Stars pro and last year’s Grease: Live star, is no stranger to the fitness scene. As she’s gotten older, she’s been dancing less and has had to rely on working out to maintain her strong and lean dancer physique. “I think growing up it was never an issue for me to think about working out or having a healthy lifestyle because I danced so much. Then when I stopped dancing and I got into regular life mode, I didn’t realize how much diet and nutrition and being active was so important. Not only for my physical state, but for my mental state, too. I think that’s just as important as working out for your physical state,” Hough said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
As for her diet, Hough does her best to eat healthy while not depriving herself. She is a big fan of juicing. She loves to make a fresh green juice in the morning with green apple, kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, lemon, and ginger.
Hough is a fan of switching things up to shock her body for the best results. She loves doing a combination of power yoga, cardio dance, and boutique fitness classes. One of her favorite workouts is “Body by Simone,” an interval training program with Pilates based movements you can do in your own home. Here are 6 full body moves that Simone De La Rue herself demonstrated on POPSUGAR as Julianne Hough’s go-to workout.
Pushup Shoulder Taps– Define your upper body while strengthening your core. Get into a pushup position. Do one pushup. Tap your right hand to your left shoulder and then your left hand to your right shoulder. Try to keep your hips the same level while switching sides. Then tap your right hand to your left wrist and left hand to your right wrist. That is one rep. Do two sets of 10. To modify, you can do the pushups on your knees.
Side Plank Oblique Crunch– Go into a side plank with one hand on the ground and both legs straight out, balancing on the side of one foot. In your side plank, make sure you line your shoulder right over your wrist. Extend the top arm over your head and lift the top leg off the ground. Crunch your elbow to your knee while balancing in your side plank position. Do 10 on each side. To modify the side plank, you can bend the bottom leg and support yourself on one knee while keeping the top leg straight.
Glute Burnout– Get onto all fours. Lift one knee up to the side as you press your hips forward into a half plank position and pull your knee into your elbow. Keep your abs pulled in. Extend the leg back as you lower down onto your forearms and transfer your weight back. Squeeze the glutes to get the leg as high as you can behind you. Do 20 times on each leg.
Explosive Jump– This move not only gets your heart rate up but will also tone your butt and legs. Squat down with both feet in parallel slightly wider than shoulder width. Keep your weight back on your heels and do not let the knees go forward past your toes. Jump up from this position and beat your heels together mid-air by squeezing your inner thighs. Land with your feet apart in your squat position. Alternate moving each arm forward on each jump as if you were running. Do two sets of 10.
Side Lying Leg Swing– Stabilize your core and shoulder while strengthening the glute and thigh. Prop yourself up onto your forearm as you lay on your side. Make sure your supporting shoulder is directly above your elbow and that you are pressing your arm into the floor to lift up and out of that shoulder blade. Bend the bottom leg for support and lift the top leg up to hip height. Keep the top leg straight as you flex the foot to swing it forward and then point the foot to swing it back. Keep your core stable and side torso lifted as the leg moves. Be careful not to release the abs or arch the back to get the leg behind you. Do 15 on each leg.
The Swimmer– This move strengthens all the muscles in the backside of your body. Lie on your stomach and reach your arms straight above your head and your legs long behind you. Pull your abdominals in to protect your lower back as you lift your upper body and legs off the ground by squeezing your entire backside. Keep the neck in line with the spine. Slowly lower the body back down. Do about 5 reps up and down and then hold it up on the last one. Start vigorously swimming the arms and legs up and down for 20 more seconds. Engage your inner thighs so that your legs don’t separate wider than your hips. Think of lengthening the entire spine as you swim and reaching each arm and leg as long as possible.
You don’t have to dance 8 hours a day to get a dancer’s body. Follow Hough’s regime by eating clean, drinking greens, and doing this lengthening and strengthening workout at least 3 times a week.
Also by Crystal: The Workout Emma Stone Did To Get A Dancer’s Body For La La Land
Gigi Hadid’s Trainer Reveals How She Got Her Rock Hard Supermodel Abs
Related: How One Top NYC Trainer Beat Cancer, Lost 20lbs & Stays Insanely Energetic
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Photo: Julianne Hough via Instagram; Video: Crystal Chin; Music: “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man
