Zumba Finds Its Groove
Is it a work out if you're having fun?
Part aerobic workout and part salsa dance class, Zumba is the newest exercise craze sweeping gyms and other fitness halls across the country. But don't be misled, Zumba isn't a Latin American infused version of Richard Simmons's "Sweatin' to the Oldies," and you don't have to know your way around the merengue to break a sweat.
Though Zumba has been around for over a decade, the practice didn't start flourishing in parts of America, and other parts of the world, until about three years ago. The exercise originated in Columbia, according to Zumba lore, after aerobic instructor Beto Perez forgot the music for his class and simply defaulted to a salsa tape he had in his car. Serendipitously, the class was a success and participants liked the setup -
soon Perez's classes were booked solid. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Perez finally got Zumba a solid footing in Miami, where the exercise began making its way north.
Classes are generally structured around an instructor who leads a group through a series of choreographed movements of their own device, with a lot of personal flair peppered throughout the session. This independence, according to Cathya Beard, a Lexington Zumba instructor, is what many participants find appealing about the fitness routine.
"There isn't a way you have to do your class. It's freestyle - there are basics, but you get to make it as fun as you want or as strict as you want," she said. "There is a general idea, but everybody is different."
Another facet to Zumba's popularity, of course, is the dancing. Beard says the trick is making sure people are more concerned with having fun than they are about burning calories. "In the end, I think it got popular because you're into the music, you don't really recognize you're working out. You're dancing, but you're really working out," she said.
Along with being a certified Zumba instructor for the past three years, as well as a ballroom dance instructor, Beard, a native of Peru, started Zumba Kids here in Lexington, a program where she goes to Fayette County schools and leads kids not only through a Zumba session, but also through the Latin American cultures from where the music and dances originate.
"My niche has always been cultural. As much as I love exercising, I think it's important to educate children and adults about cultural differences," she said. "I get an opportunity to share who I am. I have always been proud of being Latino."
Zumba classes of all levels of expertise are offered in many venues throughout Lexington. An extensive listing is available by searching www.zumba.com. To see a listing of Beard's upcoming classes, visit www.zumbakids.com. -
Robbie Clark
It's All in the Hips
Belly dancing works the mind and body
Though often conjuring stories of seduction and other prurient connotations, belly dancing is actually a distinguished art form that engages participants mentally, emotionally and physically.
Teresa Tomb, the owner and an instructor at Mecca Live Studio and Gallery, has been teaching courses on belly dancing for more than a decade here in Lexington.
"We don't bill them as fitness classes, but a lot of people's motivation for coming is to work off their stomach," Tomb said. "A lot of people come to it for exercise, but then they discover all the other aspects of it."
While belly dancing does give participants a solid core workout, along with abs, back, leg and arm exercises (with veil demonstrations), concentrating on the choreography and interacting with the music -
a blend of Middle Eastern varieties -
also gives the dancers a well-rounded challenge.
"One of the reasons I think it is such a good workout, and satisfying workout, is that you're not just connecting physically with your body. You're connecting emotionally with the music and you're being expressive, so your brain is titillated and involved in the process," Tomb said.
Through belly dancing, many muscles that aren't commonly utilized are given a lot of attention, and some of the corresponding movements can seem foreign. Tomb said she uses the analogy of teaching your body a new language when working with new students.
"When you're beginning, your body is learning how to pronounce words. The more you practice those words, the more fluent you become," she said. "And then you're taking words and making sentences and creating longer phrases. And then, at some point, you're writing poetry with your body."
This "poetry" is also translated into many dancers' newfound appreciation and respect for their bodies, and Mecca students are given the opportunity to perform what they've learned to the public the first Monday every month at Gumbo Ya Ya's downtown location (367 E. Main St., in the BAR Lexington complex).
Of course, performing in public is completely voluntary, and, as is with the entire experience in Tomb's courses, students are made to feel comfortable in a nurturing environment.
"A lot of people feel intimidated by the gym because there's so many people there. This has a little more intimacy and privacy," Tomb said. "There's no judgment or competitiveness. Everybody is amazingly supportive in class."
Classes for mixed levels of belly dancing, along with other courses -
such as belly aerobics and doumbek hand drumming -
are available. Class schedules and other information are available online at www.meccadance.com or by calling (859) 254-9790. Mecca will be hosting its annual Valentine's "Dance of Enticement" workshop from 6 - 7:30 p.m. February 11. Mecca Live Studio and Gallery is located at 451 B Chair Avenue. -
Robbie Clark
Focused Fitness
Martial arts promotes physical and mental harmony
Though martial arts is one of the most ancient fitness techniques still widely practiced today, the concept of cultivating combat skills while at the same time honing peace of mind might seem, on the surface, a bit difficult to grasp. Yet despite its decidedly Eastern sensibility, the practice of martial arts has widely increased in the United States over the past half-century since it was first introduced. Today, it stands as a popular organized activity for children as well as a preferred workout alternative for adults looking to sharpen their mind and tone their body.
In a broad sense, at the heart of all martial arts is the concept of self-defense; however, Elder Master Bill Leonard of Lexington's Sin ThÈ Karate School refers to self-defense as a "side product" that accompanies a multitude of other perks associated with the practice. Physical benefits include increased speed, balance, timing, coordination, strength, flexibility and cardiovascular strength; further benefits include stress reduction and boosts in confidence, self-awareness, loyalty and integrity (parents of children who become involved with martial arts classes often notice increased levels discipline).
Though most martial arts styles incorporate elements of both meditation and combat, different forms vary in their specific focus. For example, the Afro-Brazilian form Capoeira combines elements of music and dance, while "mixed martial arts" classes tend to focus more on competition and full-contact extreme combat. Lexington offers classes in both of these forms, as well as in the more well-known styles of Tai Chi, Kung Fu and Taekwando. Leonard's school, Sin ThÈ, specializes in the ancient Chinese art of Shaolin-Do, which combines hard and soft style Shaolin-Do Kung Fu, including a strong focus on weaponry. Having originated in the Shaolin temple of China in the sixth century, part of the original Shaolin training included observing animals such as snakes, leopards, birds and monkeys - "the natural fighters of the earth" - and applying those observations into "katas," pre-arranged exercises, to pass down to future generations of human fighters.
While many traditional gym-based exercise routines focus on physical strength and endurance alone, a workout that likely ends as soon as you leave the gym, skills honed with martial arts carry over to day-to-day life. The practice also engages the mind much deeper than most workouts.
"I always say martial arts is a lifetime endeavor," Leonard said. "When you're weight-lifting, you might not put a lot of thought into it. I think people have more fun when their minds are working."
As fun and mentally engaging as it might be, the intense physical workout of martial arts is not to be underestimated.
"I'd say second for second, minute for minute, a good hard kata is one of the hardest things you can do," Leonard said. "If you show up, you will get in shape. You have no choice."
Whether you're looking for physical fitness, combat skills, or improving your mind's focus, Lexington offers a number of different class options in a variety of martial arts styles. Leonard recommends asking to sit in on a class you might be interested in before signing up to see if it is right for you. For more information on the Sin ThÈ Karate School, which is the oldest martial arts school in Lexington, visit www.sinthe.com. - Saraya Brewer
Not Just for the Limber
Yoga can benefit all shapes and ages
When Karen Thompson first moved to Lexington in 1980, there were no yoga studios to be found - in fact, most of the people she encountered had never heard of the practice. After enough asking around, Thompson, who had studied yoga meditation and Hatha yoga for a few years in Texas, encountered yoga instructor Shelley Smith (one of the only yoga teachers in Lexington at the time). The next year, Smith incorporated the Yoga Health and Therapy Center, the first and longest running yoga studio in Lexington. Thompson has been with the center - initially as a student, now as a teacher with more than 20 years experience - ever since.
Like the rest of Western civilization, Lexington may have been late to pick up on the benefits of one of the world's most ancient approaches to wellness (with roots that trace back anywhere from 3,000 to 7,000 years), but the practice has certainly become more mainstream today, with over a dozen Lexington studios specializing specifically in yoga, and scores of gyms and other fitness facilities offering weekly yoga classes. We still have a lot to learn about the practice, however, as Thompson points out.
"In America, we are generally receptive to health and longevity (benefits of yoga)," she said. "We are not necessarily as cognizant about the other parts."
In addition to building physical strength and flexibility, further benefits of yoga that people might not be aware of include better circulation; improved health of endocrine glands (by manipulating blood flow); heightened self-awareness; feeling refreshed, restored and energized; and stress relief. Regular practice can extend an awareness of posture and breathing beyond the yoga studio into daily life.
"You don't have to be a super yoga performer to get those benefits," Thompson said. "I would encourage people who think they can't do yoga that there is some level that they can do."
While the overall health benefits increase over time as a yogi moves forward in his or her practice, some of the effects can be noticed almost immediately.
"I left my first class feeling more alive, and calmer at the same time," Thompson said. "The mental clutter, the static - it just starts to fall away."
A common misperception about yoga is that you must be thin, limber or athletic to succeed in it - a stereotype many yoga teachers work to dispel. While there are certain considerations to look at before embarking on a practice (primarily physical health concerns, including previous injuries), yoga can be beneficial to the young and old, to people of all body types and athletic dispositions. It can even be a healing process to people of varying health conditions. Lexington offers courses specifically geared toward people with back pain, asthma and allergies, cardiovascular disease, and multiple sclerosis.
For more information on the classes offered at the Yoga Health & Therapy Center, which is located downtown at 322 West Second Street, visit www.yogahealthcenter.org. -
Saraya Brewer