Exploring The Goddess
by MelissaApril 21st, 2005 12:47 am
Maybe goddess isn’t exactly the right word, that conjures images of Wicca and that’s probably a discussion for another day. Let’s just say that I’m getting in tune with my inner seductress. (Chris, stop laughing…now)
I went to my first belly dancing class tonight. I’ve known lots of people who’ve taken classes as part of an adult education program, but I’m embarking on this as a part of a fitness program. This might sound ridiculous, but tonight I learned that belly dancing is one hell of a workout. Some of the movements are familiar, the hip shimmy, for instance, but in this type of dance, you learn to isolate very specific groups of muscles and move them in defined ways to achieve a certain type of motion and appearance.
And if you’ve ever actually watched a belly dancer, you know they wear scarves tied around their hips. Even we amateurs get to wear scarves. In addition to looking great, they are a big help in learning how to perfect your movements. You can tell whether you’re moving correctly by watching the motion of the scarf.
Lots of exercise classes cater to women, particularly younger women, but this class is excellent for women of all ages and fitness levels. There are breaks in the action, so you don’t need to be in perfect shape. No running or jumping happens, so this can be classified as an absolutely no-impact workout. And the body movements you will learn by isolating various groups of muscles are ideal for toning and shaping a woman’s body.
I rarely get excited about exercise, but as you can probably tell, I’m pretty damn stoked about belly dancing. Maybe it’s because it feels more like fun than exercise. I’ve always been a dancing fool, so I’m hoping that maybe I’ve finally found the perfect workout.
As always, I’ll keep you guys posted. If anybody wants more information about classes, just shoot me an email and I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.
April 21st, 2005 at 12:35 pm
And the body movements you will learn by isolating various groups of muscles are ideal for toning and shaping a woman’s body
Probably will get you in killer overall shape, but serious belly dancers are rather thick through the waistline from all that muscle development there…
(the best one I ever knew always looked “fat” until you saw her flipping rows of quarters on her stomach, one at a time…)
April 21st, 2005 at 12:47 pm
You’re right, acm. I know it won’t make you skinny, but I think it’s great for shaping women the way they were meant to look and that’s a good thing. I’m just fascinated by the ability to be able to move your right abdominals separately from your left ones, so on and so forth throughout the body. Very interesting stuff. Seriously, I think I might be hooked. :)