Posts Tagged ‘Jazzercise’
Posted by terrepruitt on February 7, 2013
I found Nia back in 2008. I was looking for an exercise that was more like dance. I had several people in my life at that time that loved to dance, but their partners wouldn’t dance with them. They claimed they would love to do exercise if it was more like dance. I also had people in my life at that time that were younger than me, my age, and just slightly older and they couldn’t move very well. They moved with pain and/or it was an extreme challenge for them to balance and just a mixed bag of things. I believed that movement could help some of the issues facing them and many others. I also loved to dance and thought it would be great to have an exercise class that was dance. I looked at doing Jazzercise, but I think at the time the franchise thing (or however they did it/do it) was not something I wanted to do. And back then Zumba was not yet the rage and I had thought it was ALL Latin music (I know better now). I remember I came across a website that was talking about Trance Dance. So I researched that a bit. That sounded interesting, moving your body in your own way to music. But the information I found said that you kept your eyes closed and/or were blindfolded while dancing and someone would watch to make certain people didn’t injure themselves. That part and the fact that some sites stated there actually was a form of “Trance” that people entered into kept me from wanting to do that. But somewhere there was a mention of Nia. So I tried to find all the information I could on this Nia. Back then it might have even been NIA. I don’t remember when it changed and even now some places still call it Neuromuscular Integrative Action. It has gone through a few name changes, but at present it is just The Nia Technique or Nia.
It IS non-impact aerobics and it IS Neuromuscular Integrative Action, but the name is Nia and it no longer “stands” for anything. And in the four years that I have been doing it and learning about it, it has changed. It was originally created by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas in the early 1980s from a desire to help people exercise in a different way, a way that addressed more than just the physical body.
When I joined Nia there were really starting to talk a lot about the next phase of Nia. You see, even though Nia remains true to the original concept of a Joyful workout, it does change and it does grow. Anything that wants to survive has to change or at least be flexible enough to endure the change that happens around it. Nia changes, they change the way they deliver training from the routines to the intensive — so the continued education changes. Nia’s training material is phenomenal. When you read through a newsletter or a manual or listen to a conference call you can sense the care taken in creating the material. It is nice to be a part of Nia.
It is interesting. It is amazing to see how far Nia has come and how much is has changed in the short time that I have been a teacher. The roots of Nia are still there they are just always finding new ways to share it.
As with any an all certifications I have earned I did my research beforehand. It is important to know how much the initial training cost and how the licensing and/or certifications works. It is important to know about continued education and re-licensing or re-certifiying. I liked everything I saw about Nia. It took me four classes before I decided to invest the time and money needed to teach.
I took the training in December of 2008. I started teaching in February 2009. I have been teaching Nia ever since. I have had the same Monday and Wednesday class since February 2009. I have had other classes at other studios and gyms on different days and different times. At this writing I am teaching Nia five times a week in San Jose – not including subbing dates. I have three classes for the City of San Jose; a Tuesday morning and a Tuesday evening class. I also have a Thursday evening class. My schedule is update regularly on www.HelpYouWell.
I took a second Nia training in November 2012. I just finished posting my way through the #13 principles of that belt (Blue Belt).
I am excited to have so many opportunities to share Nia with people each week. As I said, I have five classes and as I said things change. So when you are ready to join me in one check my site to confirm time and place and all those details. I would like for the number to grow. Just as Nia is growing, in leaps and bounds and for the better.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: City of San Jose Nia, Community Center Nia classes, dance class, dance exercise, dance partners, Dance Workout, Jazzercise, Neuromuscular Integrative Action, Nia, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Classes, Nia San Jose, San Jose dance exercise, San Jose Nia, trance dance, www.HelpYouWell.com, Zumba | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 4, 2012
I have a confession to make. It is one I might have even confessed before. I know I have done it before. It is easy for me to get caught up. I want to please people. I want the supervisor to know that I am working to keep the students IN the class. I want the students attending the class to like it and want to be there. When you are a substitute instructor leading a different format than is usually taught it is very different from when you are teaching a class of the expected format. Many people are taught that cardio – aerobic exercise – is extremely fast, high impact, and difficult so it is very hard to change that mindset. I was asked by someone who understands both the fact that cardio does not have to be extremely fast or high impact and that people are trained to think it is, if I could do Nia a little higher because people expect cardio to be a specific way. So caught up in wanting to give the students what they are accustomed to getting I put together a routine . . . kind of rushed . . . that didn’t have ALL the elements that a Nia class normally has. It was not good. It felt “off”. I was trying to make Nia something it is not. Nia is not Zumba. Nia is not Cardio-Sculpt. Nia is not extremely fast, rushed, and high impact. Nia is not Jazzercise. Nia is not UJAM. Nia is not all of or any of these other names that there are for classes that are fast, rushed, and high impact. Nia is an amazing practice. Nia is a great workout. Nia is a wonderful cardio dance exercise. And I need to stop trying to make it be something it is not just because people are used to cardio a specific way.
So I did a routine that didn’t feel right to me. I thought I would get up the next morning and do the same routine for the class I was asked at the last minute to sub, I was going to try to “bring it” to the students. As I was getting into bed a little agitated from the “not feeling right class”, it washed over me like a refreshing revelation . . . . DO NIA! Duh! Bring “IT”, and make that “IT” Nia. I got caught up and in my trying to bring the students what they are used to, I didn’t allow them the richness of something new. The richness of Nia.
Now, I want you to understand that the Nia Technique creates wonderful routines and all we teachers have to do is learn them and teach them. But we are also allowed to use other music, make up our own routines, mix and match the routines they have created, and make up our own katas. Of course, we need to follow the Nia class formula and the seven cycles which contain the traditional warm-up, move it, and cool-down. I also think when creating a routine/class – in general – it should be balanced; as an example not all songs/movements should be lateral ones or forward and back ones, there should be a mix of movement and the 52 Nia moves. I create routines from Nia routines all the time. So it was not the fact that I put songs together that created the not feeling right routine, it was ME. It was ME trying to make Nia something it is not.
I need to center myself. I need to stick to what I know and not try to give people the class they are used to. I KNOW Nia is amazing and awesome and does need to try to be anything it is not. I KNOW THAT. I just get caught up.
Another point I want to make is, I am not saying those other formats are bad. In fact, I like some of the other formats I have tried. One of these days I might even teach another cardio format. I am saying Nia is Nia, it is not any of the other formats and I need to remember that and let it stand on its own. I need to remember to trust Nia and allow it to touch the people it needs to touch and let the others attend the other dance classes. I need to remember that when I am asked to sub a class I am going to sub it with Nia and not try to make Nia be what that class usually is. I keep thinking to myself, “DUH!”
Thank you for letting me confess and do a public face-in-the-hand-plant!
Do you EVER do that in any section of your life – try to make something be something else even though what you have is just perfect the way it is?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 52 Nia Moves, aerobic dance class, cardio, Cardio-Sculpt, class format, dance exercise, dance format, exercise format, fast formats, high impact, Jazzercise, Nia, Nia Music, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia student, Nia Teacher, substitute instructor, Ujam, Zumba, Zumba routines | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on July 14, 2012
I have a huge favor or request. I know I have mentioned it before, but I don’t think I have done a single post on it, but recently I, myself, was confronted with this situation so I really want to make a serious plea. I am going to go out on a limb and say this is a plea for many fitness instructors/dance exercise teachers. If you go to a class and you don’t like it, please, please, please try it at least two more times. If you are ok with the instructor, but the class is just not that good in your opinion, give it another chance. There are a million reasons why you might not like that particular class on that particular day. It could be the routine or exercises you were doing that day so ask the instructor when s/he will be changing to a new one. Or it could be the music, so, again talk to the instructor. Maybe ask if the class you just experienced was the norm or the typical class. Sometimes instructors decide to change it up and try something new but after taking it to the class they might decide they didn’t like it either. So ask. Also ask the other students. Don’t give up on something after just one class.
If taking three classes from the same instructor sounds like a waste of time and money to you, try a different instructor. We are all different and we strive to represent the brand/technique/practice to the best of our ability, but we also add out own style and it could be that the style is not something that you connect with. It could also be — if you don’t like the class — that the instructor is not necessarily sticking to the program. You might enjoy the class with an instructor that is more closely following the idea of the fitness brand/technique/practice.
I had been to a few fitness classes recently and I felt some elements that I believe should be included in this type of class were missing. Plus in a couple of classes I felt as if it was not all that the brand promised. But I attended a few more classes with different instructors and I began to see a big difference. I also took it upon myself to become educated a bit in the type of class and now I understand why I like one class over the other. One instructor was following the program more closely than the other one and it actually is more enjoyable. I actually went to four or five classes with three different instructors. I walked out of one class saying, “Dang, I really hate that.” Whereas the other two I thought, “Now that is what it is all about!”
So if you walk out of a class thinking you really don’t like it, that is ok, you obviously didn’t like THAT particular class, but it could be the brand/technique/practice wasn’t represented correctly. So try again. Maybe the instructor was having a bad day. Yes, it is our job to instruct and hold a good class, no matter what, but . . . c’mon we are only human. Sometimes we just have “off days”. There are all types of reasons to give an instructor another chance.
I know I have mentioned this before, but if I HAVE done an entire post on it before and I am repeating myself I apologize, but I really feel strongly about this. Because, as I said, twice I walked out of a class saying, “No way!”, but then the two other instructors showed me a “Yes way!”
Now keep in mind that I am not just talking about Nia, I am talking about ANY class you try; Zumba, Jazzercise, Barre Fitness, Turbo Kick, whatever.
If you end up giving it a good try and still end up not liking it at least you will have burned some calories in the process. But I bet if you were drawn to the class in the first place you will end up finding a class and an instructor that you like. Just don’t give up after the first class, do yourself a favor and keep at it and you’ll end up finding something to allow you to gain all the benefit of an exercise workout.
Have you ever gone to a class and not gone back because you didn’t like it after only one class?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Barre Fitness, brand representation, dance class, dance exercise, dance exercise teachers, dance program, do yourself a favor, exercise class, exercise program, fitness instructors, fitness program, Jazzercise, Nia class, Nia Technique, Turbo Kick, workout class, Zumba | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 30, 2012
I teach Nia. I have been teaching Nia for three and a half years. Not as many people who I talk to have heard of Nia as have heard of Zumba so I am constantly being asked the difference between Nia and Zumba. Since I am often asked I am often thinking about them and comparing them. First, they are actually the same in that music is played and participants dance to it. Second, in both the instructor leads the participants through the various dance moves. Third, participants of both claim they are both fun. One difference is Nia is an experience in five sensations, Zumba seems to concentrate on one.
The experience is such a big part of Nia we actually call them the five sensations of Nia. I have posted about them before (FAMSS). They are the sensation of flexibility, of agility, of mobility, of strength, and of stability. In a Nia class your body will move in a way that allows you to sense the energy moving out and away. You will bend and stretch to play with flexibility, either retaining what you have or improving upon it. There are moves in the routines that require the start and the stop. The movement that is agility could be done with our feet, our arms, our hands, our bodies, our heads or a combination of body parts but we sense the start and the stop. With every routine there is a lot of mobility, some routines have more than others, but all of them that I have experienced have a lot. With mobility it is just the same as agility in that it could be a body part that is moving or our whole body. Whatever the case there is a lot of movement from each joint that helps create a healthy joint by allowing the fluid to move to it and within it. Then we also play with strength. We might squeeze our muscles sensing the energy moving in as if the bones are being hugged by the muscles. We might do squats or sit-ups, punches and/or kicks, but there is time where we play with strength. I say Nia is very big on balance because we do many moves that requires us to be stable. Many of our moves are balancing on one leg, could be a kick, could be a stance, but it requires stability. Moving from one move to the next often requires us to call upon our stability. In a Nia routine we experience all of these sensations. I’ve reached the conclusion that Zumba is primarily agility.
In Zumba the moves are always fast. So it is a constant state of start and stop. The only sensation I sense while doing Zumba is agility. Fast start, fast stop . . . . even when there is a stretch where your muscles are yearning for a second to move to their fullest length, it is a fast stretch that does not allow for the muscle to be fully stretched. Doing a full hour of agility is not a bad thing at all. It can be fun and it can produce a lot of sweat. And many of us are programmed to think that sweat equals a good workout. I think that if you are adding Zumba to a stretching program that has some balance practice in it that is great.
I am also a believer that there are a lot of things that compliment Nia too. I actually think that if you like Nia and Zumba and you are able to do both that is a nice combination. You get two different types of cardio. One that is a workout in the sensation of agility and one that can move you through more use of the entire body to get that heart pumping.
I really believe that whatever gets you moving is GREAT. I think that you have to like what you do in order to make it a constant in your life. So Zumba, Nia, Jazzercise, U-Jam, yoga, kickboxing, bootcamp, weight training, whatever works for you is great. Do what you will do! That is the key!
It is that I am always asked about the difference between Zumba and Nia that I am always thinking about it and this was my latest thought after I did a Zumba class. I think I posted before about how I am left wanting to extend and finish my moves in Zumba and it dawned on me that it is the sensation of agility that is predominant in Zumba. Some Zumba classes I have attended do take a song to stretch at the end, but not all of them. So I guess it depends on the instructor. Nia instructors are encouraged to infuse their classes and the routines with their personalities, so I am sure that every Nia class has a few differences too.
Both Nia and Zumba are great cardio workouts. It just depends on what you want to do during your workout and what you want to get out of it. Do what you will do!
So, what is it that you do?
Posted in Nia, Working Out | Tagged: agility, bootcamp, cardio dance, cardio workout, dance exercise, FAMSS, five sensations, flexibility, Jazzercise, kickboxing, Mobility, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia instructor, Nia Moves, Nia participants, Nia routines, Nia Teacher, Nia vs Zumba, stability, strength, U-Jam, Ujam, weight training, Yoga, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba instructor, Zumba participants, Zumba routines | 11 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 15, 2012
While Nia is not yoga nor is it a yoga class we do borrow from Yoga. We borrow some of the ideas and sometimes some of the poses. In one of the Nia routines we do the Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II). We do it both static where we just rest into it and we move in it, we bend our bent leg more and sink into it and come up. Then we do the Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), then a version of the lunge, which depending upon your body could be a variation of the Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana), or the High Lunge (Utthita Ashva Sanchalanasana), or the Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) – all without the backbend. Then we straighten our leg into the Pyramid Pose/Intense Stretch Pose (Parsvottanasana). With these poses we are using a lot of muscles. The muscles can be challenged in strength, stability, and/or flexibility. It all depends are your body at that moment.
When we do the Warrior II pose in this Nia routine the arms are extended out to the sides, opposite from each other, the hips, torso, chest, and shoulders are facing the mirror/front, while one of the legs is bent at a 90 degree angle and the foot is in line with the arm. The other leg is straight and the foot is slightly turned with the toes pointed toward the body and the heel pointed away. Of course participants have the option of having the foot at a right angle, but for this dance it is led with a slight angle. Even with that slight variation it is working the glutes (all of them), the thigh muscles: inner, outer, hamstrings, and the quadriceps, and your calf muscles. And for some, like me, who have a habit of scrunching the shoulders, it works the rhomboids while holding up the arms and keeping the shoulder blades down and pulled back. This is true for many yoga poses, that is why it is so great for encouraging straight posture.
Then for our Extended Side Angle Pose the arm, on the same side as the bent leg, is lowered, forearm to the thigh, the opposite arm is raised towards the sky and extended to a position that puts the arm next to the ear. There are options to stay in this modified Extended Side Angle or to move to another modification by removing the forearm from the thigh and placing that hand on the earth next to the inside arch of the foot. With this pose the primary work is in the bent leg. It is another pose that works the hamstrings and thigh muscles. Through the back of the straight leg and all along that side of the body there is a wonderful stretch, which is greater and more wonderful the better the body is as keeping the shoulder blades down and the back straight (not leaning forward).
We then move into a lunge with many options. As with all movements in Nia the responsibility falls on the participant to decide what it is their body is able to do and needs to do at that moment. We start off by placing the hands on the ground and straightening the foot on the leg that was straight in the Extended Side Angle Pose to be parallel with the foot on the bent leg. Then gently bring the back leg down resting the knee on the ground. As I said, many options so many places to go from here. One can stay here in Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana), or do a moving lunge by moving up and down, or go to High Lunge (Utthita Ashva Sanchalanasana), or come into an extended Warrior Pose I (Virabhadrasana I) with the arms up but with a parallel back foot and a straight back. Here the body receives the benefit of a lunge no matter which one the body does. If doing the extended Warrior Pose I like pose, the glutes and thigh of the bent leg are getting a great deal of work, while the straight leg’s foot parallel to the other foot results in a slight change in the muscles being worked and stretched than with the angled foot position of a traditional Warrior I. The inner thigh gets less work while the work and stretch shifts almost entirely to the back of the leg, the hamstrings and calf. The arms extended up in the extended Warrior Pose I allows for work in the spinal extensors, deltoids, lats, and traps . . . . basically a lot of muscles in the back, including the ones that keep your shoulders down. With the crown of the head reaching towards the sky abs get a stretch too.
Moving from whichever lunge was done to the pyramid where the bent leg is straightened and the crown of the head is reaching over the leg while back is straight and chest is on or close to the straight leg. Of course, variations are offered and participants do what is right for their body to remain in the sensation of Joy. With this pose the sensation experienced is a great stretch. The leg to which the head/chest is close to get the largest stretch in the back. If the body is active with the leg and working to keep the knee cap up then the quadriceps will be engaged. The spine gets a nice stretch because the crown of the head is being reach over and down. The back leg might also feel a stretch in the hamstrings if the body is like many people’s and has tight hamstrings.
This is a small yoga-like sequence that we do as part of the cool down cycle of one of the Nia routines. Again, since Nia is not a Yoga class there are many options and variations that are offered that might not be part of a yoga class teaching strictly yoga. With all classes whether it be Nia, Yoga, Zumba, Jazzercise, whatever, the goal should be to give your body what it needs at that time. Bodies are constantly changing so the needs do too. The idea is not to force the body into a pose, but to allow the muscles and bones to sink into the pose, finding strength and flexibility along with openness in the joints and that constant sensation of Joy. This is a little review of movements that are Yoga or are very similar to Yoga, to explain some of the muscles we use in Nia.
Can you see how Nia can improve strength, stability, and flexibility?
Posted in Muscles, Nia | Tagged: back muscles, butt muscles, Extended Side Agnle Pose, Jazzercise, lunge, Nia, Nia class, Nia Moves, Nia routines, Pyramid, thigh muscles, Warrior I, Warrior II, Yoga, Yoga class, yoga poses, yoga sequence, Zumba | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 15, 2011
Nia is a cardio dance workout (it is really much more, but on the surface, that is what I call it). As with many cardio workouts done to music there are a lot of moves. Since Nia is basically a dance workout there are a lot of common dance steps and movements that many of us were taught in different forms of dance. Some are even from different forms of martial arts or other exercise classes and modalities. Nia has a base of 52 moves. We call them the 52 Nia Moves. What Nia has done is put them into categories to allow you to see what areas of the body are most associated with the move. One of the most common moves we use in Nia classes is the Open Stance. I have been familiar with the open stance for as long as I can remember. I took ballet and tap when I was young. I have done Jazzercise and other types of dance exercise classes. Many of these types of things have an open stance. From the first time I can remember being taught the open stance it was taught as “feet hip width apart”. Some of you might be familiar with that. Well, I don’t know if other modalities meant it actually that way or if I had been misled, but in Nia the open stance is actually hip JOINT width apart.
So you might be saying, “What?” Well, go ahead, if you can . . . . stand up and into open stance. I’m going to guess most of you don’t have a mirror in front of you . . . so look at your feet. What do you see? A somewhat wide stance? Are your feet hip WIDTH apart? Probably, because I believe that is the common instruction for “open stance”. Stay there. Touch your hips and thighs. Sense how that stance feels. Make note of the sensation of your leg muscles. Picture your leg bones. Are they at a slight angle?
Now bring your feet closer together. Picture your stance being hip JOINT width apart. Most of us have hips that are larger than where our legs meet our hip socket. Try this: Imagine someone gently lifting you off of your feet by you head, imagine your legs are just hanging down from your hip JOINTS. Then the huge hand that lifted you sets you gently down. Your legs exactly in the same position as when you were hanging. Your leg bones come straight out from your hip joints. That is what Nia open stance is.
For me, it is much more narrow than I was taught open stance was.
My pictures are showing the difference between what I thought was open (the first one) and what I now think of as open (the second one). I stood on the rug so the pattern would help show the difference. Please keep in mind that everyone, everyBODY is different so the width of your feet will differ from mine, but if you keep in mind that open is not really hip WIDTH apart, but hip JOINT width apart then you too, might have an adjustment in your “open stance”.
Well, did you? Were you taught open is hip width apart? If you stand hip width apart is there a noticeable difference when you stand hip JOINT width apart?
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: 52 Nia Moves, ballet classes, cardio dance, cardio exercise, cardio workout, dance steps, exercise classes, Jazzercise, Jazzercize, martial art classes, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia Moves, Nia workout, open stance | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on June 28, 2011
If you are going to embark on doing the Ten Minute Workout, you can do it without a ball, a band, and/or a BOSU. You definitely don’t need those things. I would think if you were planning on exercising at home you would have at least one set of dumbbells. The issue might be that your dumbbells are too light. Since I do not know your fitness level or your goals, please keep in mind that I am speaking in general and that YOU are responsible for your health and well-being. With your goals established you need to use the proper weight. The following information is to give you ideas on how to do things differently than originally proposed in the Ten Minute Workout, but you are responsible for doing things safely. If you have questions on what to do to help you reach your goals let me know. Listed are the exercises of the ten that required either a stability ball, a resistance band, and/or a BOSU.
Keep in mind it all depends on what you want the results to be.
(#3) – Squats: You can do squats standing on the ground. The BOSU added the extra element of having to balance. If you don’t have a BOSU and you still want to work on balance while you do squats, you could try doing them on an inflatable pool float. Be careful! But you will notice that standing on something with air in it makes you have to balance more than just standing on the ground. If you think about it that is what a BOSU is. It is just plastic filled with air. If you don’t have something inflatable you can stand on, you can still get a little balance work in by holding something somewhat heavy in one hand. Or even try a bottle of water and let the water slosh around. Do five, then switch hands. Or you could just close your eyes. You would be amazed at how much that throws off people’s balance.
(#4) – Triceps kickbacks: For this you don’t want the weight to be too heavy. You should be able to complete the ten, but not necessarily too fast or easy. And don’t have the weight be too heavy that you have to swing it to get the movement done.
(#5) – Hamstring curls: With this you can either lay on your stomach and put a weight between your feet/ankles and pull your feet back to your butt. Down to the ground and back to your butt. Or you can stand and “Kick” your butt, one leg at a time. (Yeah, the same move we used to do in Jazzercise.)
(#8) – Push ups: Use the ground instead of the BOSU. Or something higher (STABLE coffee table, stair, whatever works and can be incorporated into your “gym”) than the ground if you prefer
(#9) – Bent over lateral raises: I actually like these better with a dumbbell. Remember that the details about your shoulders still apply. Hold a weight in each hand, bent over slightly and with a straight back, and open and close your arms. This weight will probably need to be less than the one you are using for your biceps curls. But again, it depends on YOU and your goals. That is not a definitive statement, just a general one.
(#10) – Stability ball pass: Well, without the ball it is really just a V Sit-up. Lay down raise your legs while rising up with shoulders and arms to meet your legs. You body forms a V. Arms over your head while you lower upper body and legs to the ground. If you don’t have a stability ball you would always try using a different ball, but that is up to you. Either way it is a V sit-up.
Does that help? Remember the basic form of the exercise still applies; straight back, only forearms moving, etc. or whatever applied to the original exercise. I am not aware of what equipment you have but there is always something to do without any equipment at all. Even without dumbbells. Body weight exercise are great. If you have any questions let me know. ALSO, please feel free to SHARE what you do use or what you workout with.
Posted in Hamstrings, Ten Minute Workout (Posts) | Tagged: 10 minute exercise, 10 minute workout, BOSU, crunch. weights, dumbbell, exercise ball, exercise band, hamstring, hamstring curls, Jazzercise, resistance, resistance band, sit ups, Sit-up, specificity, stability ball sit up, ten exercises in 10 minutes, ten minute workout, ten reps, ten/ten/ten, tricep, triceps, Triceps kick backs, twenty exercises in ten minutes, workout for 10 minutes | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 10, 2011
I heard about Nia about three years ago. I have been a Nia Teacher for almost two and a half years. Nia has been around since the early 80s, so about 28 years. Jazzercise has been around even longer than that, since 1969—if you can believe that. And Zumba, it has only been around 10 years. All of these dance workouts could have, at one point been considered exercise fads. But they have proven to be here to stay. This is a good thing. They will adjust and change over the years and probably be around for another 28, 42, and 10 years or more. But what about some of the fads?
A lot of exercise fads have been equipment. Do you remember the Thighmaster? The Gazelle sold by that huge guy with long hair (Tony Little)? The Ab -blaster, -rocker, -roller, you name it there was/is an “AB”-something or rather? What about the shake weight? What is up with that?
What about Tae Bo? Still around? Rollerblading? Yes, a lot of these things, these “fads” are still around. But at one point they were HUGELY popular—-seemed like EVERYONE was doing them (whatever the “IN” thing is at the time)–well that is what a fad is. But you know what is kinda cool? Some people continue to do them. So while not everyone you know is out rollerblading there are people who still do it. It is something they enjoy doing. It is how they get their exercise or just relax. There are people who still do Tae Bo. And if not Tae Bo one of the hundreds of other classes like it. Tae Bo might have started it. It was a fad, but it is still going on. Someone somewhere is still doing it.
What I am getting at is unless the fad is actually dangerous or unhealthy they are good. They get people moving. Most of the “machines” or equipment won’t actually do what they promise, but some of it can get people moving. If they are really worth anything they will be proven to be worth it. If they stay around for any length of time they will also adjust because in order to last they need to change as things change. We learn new things about exercise and the body all the time so a long-lasting workout or exercise machine/equipment will have to adapt. But in the mean time a lot of the fads just get people up and moving and that really is a good thing.
Have you bought anything you are brave enough to admit? Is there a fad that you joined in on, but then really love it so you still do it?
Posted in Working Out | Tagged: Abblaster, abrocker, abroller, aerobic classes, aerobic workouts, Cardio classes, cardio workouts, dance workouts, exercise equiment, exercise fads, exercise machines, Gazelle, Jazzercise, Jazzercise class, Nia, Nia class, Nia Teacher, Roller blading, rollerblading, shake weight, Tae Bo, Thighmaster, Zumba, Zumba class | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 5, 2011
I teach Nia. I found Nia while looking on the internet for a workout that was exercise as well as dance. Dance is exercise and with so many people enjoying dancing I was hoping to find a combination of both that I could teach. Nia is a non-impact cardio dance. The “non-impact” often causes people to think that it is low intensity, but with Nia you regulate your own intensity. Nia was created using The Body’s Way, and designed so that you can practice is in Your Body’s Way. So participants receive the workout their body needs at that moment.
I believe that is one of the great things about Nia, but it is also one of the things that greatly challenge people. Some people do not know how to listen to their own bodies and give them what they need. They are accustomed to being told what they need and what to do. So Nia might not be for everyone. But there is something out there that is.
In the Fall 2010 issue of Conscious Dancer, they shared 100 modes of movement. They highlighted movements from A-Z. They pointed out AcroYoga, AlivEmotion, BeachDance, Bellyfit, Biodanza, Chakradance, Dancing with Pain, DolphinDance, 5Rhythms, Gyrotonic Expansion System, Hoop Dance, InterPlay, Jazzercise, Laughter Yoga, Nia, Pilates, Shake Your Soul, Soul Motion, SpritisDancing, Trance Dance, Wowzacise, Yoga Booty Ballet, YogaFit, Zumba, and more.
From yoga to yoga dancing, spiritual exercise, water workouts, healing, structured, non-structured, standing, sitting, rolling, running, jumping, bouncing, everything from here to there and anything you can thing of and more. So what is your excuse? Maybe there isn’t a Nia class in your area or that is convenient to you or your schedule. What about a Zumba class? Get some of your Latin on. Zumba not your thing? What about BellyFit? Maybe there is a class near you and a form of fitness that has a bit of yoga, meditation, and Pilates in it is something you would like? Laughter Yoga (who doesn’t like to laugh?) is in 60 countries. Maybe you would like the group type of moving mediation that is 5Rhytms. Or you wanna take it back to your childhood circling your hips and other body parts in a Hoop Dance. Have you tried Jazzercise lately? Even though it has been around since the 60′s it has kept up with the times. Like Nia, you learn that the joy of dance that is Shake Your Soul can be a healing experience. What about Wowzacise? Created by Wowza it is a form of fitness done on different size stability balls. Yoga Booty Ballet is a set of workouts that is yoga, cardio, and ballet and there are DVDs so you don’t even have to go out to do that one.
See? So as I am often saying there is soooooo much out there. If you don’t like one thing try another. Take into consideration your goals and what you really like to do, then go out there and find it. It has to be there. Even though Nia is for everyBODY, it really is not for everyone, but please find something that is for you and do it and stick to it!
Posted in Dance Workout, Nia | Tagged: 5Rhythms, ballet, Bellyfit, Biodanza, cardio, cardio dance, Chakradance, Councious Dancer, dance exercise, Dance Workout, DolphinDance, Gyrotonic, healing, Hoop Dance, http://www.consciousdancer.com/, InterPlay, Jazzercise, Laughter Yoga, meditation, modes of movement, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia workout, non impact ardio dance, non impact workout, Pilates, Soul Motion, spiritual exercise, SpritisDancing, trance dance, water workouts, Wowzacise, Yoga, Yoga Booty Ballet, yoga dancing, YogaFit, Your Body's Way. AcroYoga, Zumba | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 4, 2011
When I first started teaching my Nia classes I was doing it three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the studio in Willow Glen. Not every class had many students. I remember talking to different people about the low numbers. Some of them suggested not having that many classes in a week, not having that many dance lessons a week. Understandable. Most people didn’t know what Nia was. Since it is dance many people thought of it as a dance that you learn. But Nia is not like Salsa or Tango where you are shown steps, then asked to mimic them, then instructed to practice, then allowed to practice to music. Nia is not a dance lesson type of dance.
Even though Nia incorporates nine different movement forms, Nia is more comparable to Zumba or Jazzercise where the music is playing and the participants follow the lead of the teacher. No experience in or with any of the movement forms is required. Nia is a cardio dance workout, it is exercise so it is GREAT to do it three times a week. It is recommended to participate in a form of cardio exercise at least three times a week to maintain heart health. Depending upon your individual needs and goals cardio more often might even be in order. So Nia three times a week is great.
When I had the opportunity to hold a third class in a week that is exactly what many of my Monday and Wednesday students said, “Nia three times a week is great!” Now I have a third Nia class on Fridays in Los Gatos. (I know I have said that before, but I am excited. Plus I need to get the word out!)
Another point about Salsa and Tango is a partner is needed. Nia does not require a partner so it is often easier to actually do it three times a week since you are not trying to coordinate with another person to meet and dance three times a week.
Participating in Nia with any regularity participants will learn, but it might not be dance steps. There are many things to learn when participating in Nia, but it is not taught as steps and or patterns are taught in a dance lesson. Instead of Nia being a dance lesson, you will learn lessons as you dance Nia. 
Posted in Nia | Tagged: cardio dance, cardio dance workout, cardio exercise, cardio workout, dance class, dance class Willow Glen, Exercise classes in Willow Glen, heart health, Jazzercise, Nia, Nia class, Nia Music, Nia participants, Nia Practice, Nia students, Nia studio, Nia Teacher, Nia three times a week, Nia Willow Glen, Salsa, Salsa partner, Tango, Tango partner, Willow Glen Jazzercise, Willow Glen Nia, Willow Glen Salsa, Willow Glen Tango, Willow Glen Zumba, Workout in Willow Glen, Zumba | 2 Comments »
