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Belly dancers know better than anyone how strong we need to be for dancing, so no dancer should neglect strength-training. It protects you from injury and improves your existing set of skills, such as floor work and even your posture. You can even strength-train without an expensive gym membership or cumbersome equipment. Instead, use your body-weight.

To tone your arms and core, start with pushups. If you’ve never done a pushup before, you don’t have to be able to lift your whole body off the floor. Just drop your knees to the floor and push up your upper body. Make sure you place your hands about shoulder-width apart, just below your shoulders, and when you drop yourself to the floor, aim for bending your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Every time you do your pushups, try to do one more, and in no time at all, you’ll start to see some definition to your arms that’ll look great with your costume. Once you can do a few modified pushups, try switching to regular ones.

To strengthen your core and lower back do pilates planks. Lie face down and place your forearms on the floor, with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Keep your forearms on the floor as you push yourself up onto your toes. Tighten your butt and abs to keep your body in a straight line, and hold yourself like that for as long as you can. Start with 15 to 30 seconds, and try to add 5 more seconds each time your exercise.

For your upper back, do back extensions. Start by lying facedown on the floor again, with your palms on the floor in the same position as for plank. Tuck you toes under something low, such as a table or a desk, then lift your chest off the floor like you’re about to do a back bend. Hold that position for about 15 to 30 seconds, then rest for a minute. This exercise has the added benefit of stretching out your abs from plank.

Finally, work on your leg strength. You can do this with squats. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold your arms straight out in front of you, and, keeping your back straight, pretend you’re sitting down in a chair. Try to bend your knees 90 degrees, then straighten up. Make sure you keep your arms parallel to the floor, and don’t lean forward. Like your pushups, try to do one more every time you do your workout.

Do as many repetitions as you can every time you workout, and don’t forget to stretch afterward and drink lots of water. Rest for at least a day afterward—you can even do this on the days you don’t have dance class or practice. If you do the above workout as a circuit, one exercise after another, you’ll find it takes very little time, and is easy to fit into a busy schedule. You’ll find your both your strength and your dancing improve because of it!