Posts Tagged ‘Dance Workout’
Posted by terrepruitt on June 12, 2011
My Ten Minute Workout is done. I do believe that ten minutes is not that long and it can be done, but one does have to manage their time properly and I did not do that yesterday. I had plenty of time in which to do it, but I kept getting delayed. Also, I was sensing my hamstrings wanting a rest. I didn’t really think they NEEDED a rest, they are not injured or really sore, but I am aware of them when I get up. The Nia routine I did most of last week has a lot of bows in it. The name of the Nia routine is Passion and when the music is in fully swing it allows the passion of dance to be experienced and I have been taking my bows low. I am experiencing some soreness in my hamstrings.
But the main reason for me not doing my Ten Ten in Ten is my poor time management. Unless I am in a lot of pain and think that further movement will damage my muscle for me the best course of action is to work through it, even if I tone the volume of movement down. This workout MIGHT cause DOMS to be experienced and that is when you have to decide what it best for you.
How are you doing today?
Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: Bow Stance, Dance Workout, Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, DOMS, muscle pain, Muscle Soreness, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia Music, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, Nia workout, Passion, passion dance, passion of dance, poor time management, sore hamstrings, swing dance, ten minute workout | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 5, 2011
Do you collect anything? My husband collects shot glasses. He has them from all over. ALL over . . . . . . even space. This one is probably from the furthest away. This is a shot glass from Ferenginar 🙂 . Ferengi is from the Star Trek Empire.
You might be able to see it is made up of two pieces. The metal piece made up of rings that hold the glass “shot glass” portion. It is a fun design. I guess it is perfect for off world shot taking. I don’t know if he has ever drank out of it. Now that I think about it is quite funny. He collects shot glasses, but he doesn’t really drink shots. He does like to buy a shot glasses from places we have been. So it is the collecting of the item that brings him pleasure. It is a bonus if the shot glass is cool or unusual.
Because I started this blog to promote Nia, my Nia classes, and grow in my Nia practice by writing and posting about it, I always have Nia in the back of my mind when I am writing a post. Even if it has nothing to do with Nia, like this one. It is about collecting, it is to share picture of this particular shot glass. But as I was typing the part about my husband collecting shot glass because it makes him happy, it brings him pleasure I thought of a comparison to Nia.
The similarity is that he doesn’t really like to drink shots, a person could not really like to workout or exercise. My hubby likes to buy shot glasses, it brings him pleasure, Nia is a dance, if you like to dance it brings pleasure. If the shot glass is cool or unusual it is better, Nia is cool, it is unusual, it is different. The fact that John doesn’t really drink shots doesn’t mean that it is not nice to have shot glasses around in case he wants one so he gets the benefits of owning them. Nia doesn’t really FEEL like exercise because the participants are involved in a movement that bring pleasure, but since we are moving in all different ways, up down, around, fast, slow, and engaging so many body parts and muscles it IS a workout. You DO receive benefits as you do when you do traditional exercise.
Funny how things can be connected. Funny how things can be collected. Do you collect anything? What?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: collections, dance exercise, Dance Workout, drinking shots, Ferengi, Ferengi shot glass, Ferenginar, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia Practice, Nia work out, Nia workout, shot glass collection, shot glasses, Star Trek, Star Trek empire | 18 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 Exercise and Working Out, 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 | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 11, 2010
Recently in my San Jose Nia Class we used elbows as our focus for the class. The intent was to sense the connection that our elbows have to our entire body. As we moved we connected them to our hips, our ribs, our thighs, our knees, even our toes. An easy and almost automatic connection is elbows to shoulders. Well, for me, this focus allowed me to move my joints to a state of complete and utter looseness. I felt very loose and relaxed all day long.
That same evening I went to an Ecstatic Dance class and I almost felt as if I could bend like a contortionists. Notice I said ALMOST. In reality I could not bend like that, but I was sensing a greater flexing in my joints than normal. Since I was actually aware of this and sensing it I decided to move with caution. When I get the opportunity to just Free Dance with others that are doing their own thing I really end up moving. I work up a sweat and get a really great workout. But this time since I felt my joints might be able to bend more than normal I kept reining myself in. I didn’t want to end up injuring myself.
I thought of my former dance teacher who used to do very deep stretches with her legs. Since she COULD stretch so deep she would do it all the time thinking she was doing her body good. But it turned out that all of that stretching ended up putting too much strain on her ligaments. She ended up having to have several surgeries on her knee. She was double jointed or had knee joints that hyperextended. If you are double jointed it is good to use caution when moving because just because you CAN move like that doesn’t mean it is good for you to do so repeatedly. The focus of this post is more about loose joints and not double-jointedness.
It is very important to stretch and be flexible, but there sometimes is a point when we are too loose or more accurately too loose to just let loose. We need to know when to rein it in and take it easy. Listening to our body and using body knowledge and awareness we can help from allowing ourselves to get injured. If you normally cannot do a particular move but today you sense that you can, stop and think can you really? Is your body ready? If you are sure then by all means do it because doing what we couldn’t do before but can do now, is how we grow and progress. But if you are not sure then maybe you want to wait until you are certain because you don’t want to end up having to start all over if you injure yourself. If your joints are not used to a deep stretches then work slowly into it. If you have done a juicy yoga class or Nia has all your joints open and saying “Ahhh!” but your joints are not always that loose – proceed with care doing any additional exercise. Be sure to enjoy the sensation of happy joints.
Have you ever sensed the sensation of loose joints?
Posted in Helpful Hints | Tagged: dance class, Dance Workout, dance workout class, Ecstatic Dance, flexible joints, focus and intent, joints, Nia class, Nia class focus, Nia class intent, San Joe workout, San Jose Nia class, San Jose Workout class, San Jose Yoga, San Jose yoga class, workout class, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on November 9, 2010
I teach Nia which is a cardio-dance type workout and I say cardio-dance “type” because it is a cardio workout that we do to music. Yet, it also allows the opportunity for strengthening of the muscles, increasing flexibility, improving stability and agility, and boosting mobility. All of this could happen without you even realizing it because it is all done to music in a type of dance. Or you could actually try to improve your abilities in progression. In other fitness modalities they call it progressive overload. You can actually decide to increase your abilities and work towards that.
Progressive overload is increasing the challenge in increments so that the body keeps adjusting accordingly to the new stress. As long as the body perceives it as new the system will continue to adjust. The challenge in Nia could be a variety of things; you could put your arms up higher to give you greater mobility in your shoulders, you could move them faster to increase your agility, or you could do all of this continually to increase your cardio vascular health. There is always an occasion in a routine where you can bend deeper which could strengthen the lower body and again this is a way to raise your heart rate especially if you do it at a great speed.
If you are doing something other than Nia the changes could be another wide variety of things; actually changing the exercise you are doing, doing exercises longer, doing more during a workout session, or increasing the amount of workout sessions. If using resistance increasing the resistance would be considered an overload. Whatever you want to improve you would increase the challenge in increments giving the body something new to learn and overcome.
Posted in Food | Tagged: cardio dance, cardio vascular health, cardio workout, Dance Workout, exercise session, improving agility, improving mobility, improving stabilitym, increasing flexibility, Nia, Nia exercise, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, Progressive Overload, strengthening muscles, workout session | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 9, 2010
In my last post about the Nia workout I referenced an index I created for the Nia Technique Book. I want to point out that some of the section titles you see might be different than some of the information you hear now coming from Nia. The Nia Technique Book was published in 2004. The creators of Nia – Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas wrote the book to explain how Nia came about and to share its principles and moves. As you read the book you will see how Nia was not just thought up over night — actually it wasn’t thought up at all — it was born and it was grown and continues to grow and change. That is my point here, the names you might see of sections or principles in the index and in the book, might be different now because Nia is always moving, changing, and growing.
The basics remain the same. The core principles themselves have not changed but, they might have morphed a bit. In my post about Principle #11, I have said some of this before. I try not to repeat myself in entirety but often times it is ok to repeat some things. I like to repeat that Nia has been around for 26 years, the main ideas of moving to increase health, moving as the body was designed, and many more are still the same, but at the same time Nia has changed.
As I was typing up the index for the Nia Technique Book I noticed that, aside from Principle #11, Principle #9, #12, and #13 had different names then when I learned them and as we move forward the names change. But that is just a natural way of things. Things need to adapt a bit in order to survive. The core of it does not have to change, but it might need to be tweaked a bit. Even as the things have changed the book is still great information. Things have not changed enough for the book to be obsolete or have to be rewritten. The book is still an excellent starting point if you are just beginning and an excellent tool if you’ve been doing Nia for years.
Another thing I like to remind people is that I am a Nia Teacher and Nia Student. I post information on my website and blog about Nia. I might voice my opinion or my understanding about Nia, but the concept and the idea of Nia originated with Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. I am just helping to promote Nia. It is a workout, an exercise, a dance that makes one feel energized and happy. It is something I love to share. Come to one of my Nia classes or find one near you!
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Carlos Rosas, concept of Nia, dance exercise, Dance Workout, Debbie Rosas, exercise dance, how Nia originated, Nia, Nia book, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia Principle #11, Nia Principle #12, Nia Principle #13, Nia Principle #9, Nia principles, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia workout, The Nia Technique book | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 14, 2010
Presently I live in San Jose and teach Nia Classes in San Jose. I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area all my life. When I was growing up I used to tell people I lived in Santa Clara and they had no idea where that was. So I would say, “San Jose?” and if I still received that look then I would say “San Francisco?” and most of the time I would then see a spark of recognition.
When the dot com boom happened that kind of helped put “Silicon Valley” on the map and is comprised of a few places most notable cities are Cupertino, Santa Clara, San Jose, and Mountain View. A lot more people had heard of Santa Clara and San Jose after that. We weren’t known only in the shadow of San Francisco any longer. It was nice to not have to go through the entire San Francisco Bay Area to explain where I lived.
Now I find myself in that same exact “place” with Nia. I tell people I teach Nia and I get a look back. Most have not hear of it. So we go through the, “Is it like Zumba?” and I want to say:
Yes, Nia is EXACTLY LIKE Zumba: we get a workout via dance,we exercise to music, we sweat, we have fun, we work our muscles, we shimmy, shake, and gyrate, oh, except we do it in bare feet, to a variety of music, participants are encouraged to do it as their bodies allow, and there is a body-mind connection.
But most often say: It is sort of like a Zumba class and sort of like a Jazzercise class in that we move to music. Nia is a cardio workout with no impact. It is fun and unique because Nia incorporates moves and concepts from nine different movement forms a few being Tai Chi, Jazz Dance, and Yoga.
When they hear that, then they ask, “So it is Yoga?” 🙂
I was just reminded of the explaining-where-I-lived portion of my childhood when I was with a group of Nia Teachers recently. Made me laugh when I thought about the going through the same type of thing when talking about Nia. Yay, at least I am in a familiar place. 😮
Posted in Nia | Tagged: cardio workout, Dance Workout, exercise class, Jazzercise, Jazzercise class, Nia Cupertino, Nia in San Jose, Nia Mountain View, Nia San Jose, Nia Santa Clara, San Francisco Bay Area Nia Classes, San Francisco classes, San Jose classes, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Yoga, San Jose Zumba classes, Santa Clara Classes, Silicon Valley, Tai Chi, work out class, workout class, workout class San Jose, Yoga San Jose, Zumba class, Zumba classes, Zumba in San Jose | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 20, 2010
Part of the purpose of my blog is to share what Nia is and to invite people to take one of my classes. I have learned that when teaching people it is sometimes helpful to share what something ISN’T to help them understand what it is.
Nia isn’t a class where you won’t sweat.
Nia isn’t a class where the teacher shouts at you to motivate you.
Nia isn’t a class where you just think about moving.
Nia isn’t Jazzercise.
Nia isn’t sitting around.
Nia isn’t about pain.
Nia isn’t hard jumping.
Nia isn’t Tai Chi.
Nia isn’t Tae Kwon Do.
Nia isn’t Aikido.
Nia isn’t a mindless workout.
Nia isn’t Zumba.
Nia isn’t taught to Nia teachers in a day.
Nia isn’t new to the fitness world.
Nia isn’t Jazz Dance.
Nia isn’t Modern Dance.
Nia isn’t judgmental.
Nia isn’t a strict combination of linear movements.
Nia isn’t a class where you are told EXACTLY how to move your own body.
Nia isn’t Yoga.
Nia isn’t stiff.
Nia isn’t rough.
Nia isn’t (necessarily) just a workout.
Nia isn’t JUST Free Dance.
The BEST way to learn about what Nia isn’t and what Nia is, is to go to a class and see for yourself. Nia class finder. Want to find a class near you?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Aikido, dance classes, Dance Workout, fitness, Free Dance, freedance, Jazz Dance, Jazzercise, Jazzercise classes, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia teachers, Tae kwon do, Tai Chi, workout, Yoga, Zumba, Zumba classes | 19 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 15, 2010
People always ask me how I found Nia. Here is my story: I had just begun exercising. I had found Turbo Jam and I liked it. I did the DVDs in my living room before work. At the time I worked in San Jose not too from where I lived so I would get up early in the morning and do it before work. The women I worked with always told me that they loved to dance, but they couldn’t get their partners to dance with them. They also would tell me that they wished they could find a dance exercise.
I was also seeing a lot of people — at that time — that were my age or even younger that couldn’t walk up the stairs or sit on the floor and get up again. Plus there were some young people around me that were going on High Blood Pressure Meds and experiencing other health issues.
So I started looking online for an exercise that was dancey. I thought maybe I could find something that I could learn to teach others. I found trance dance, but from what I saw and what I read, it said that you closed your eyes and just danced. It didn’t sound like there was ANY rhyme or reason. I sounded as if you were in a trance and you danced. The information talked of having people watch so the people dancing didn’t run into or hit each other. So that didn’t sound like what I would be interested in.
Somehow I stumbled . . . . literally, I don’t know how, just clicking on this link and that link . . . .I found Nia. I checked out the main site and it sounded interesting. I found a class that wasn’t too far. I went. I liked it. I bought the book. I went to another class. Then months later, I found another class at a different time and I tried that. Then months later, I talked my friend into going with me one more time*.
In between the second and third class I was thinking about taking the training that would enable me to teach. But I wasn’t sure. Nia sounded a bit “woo-woo” to me. So I kept reading. I really focused on the fact that it is based on science. It is based on research. The movements are movements that our bodies were designed to do. The movements tie into the way it is taught. Some of the words that are used might give the impression that it is really “woo-woo”, but it is not. There are also some elements of Nia that are like ancient practices. I kept thinking that some of these practices have been around for hundreds of years and they really have a basis in health and wellness. It was all very intriguing.
*My fourth class I attended was my “deciding” class. I went to make a final decision. I decided to do it. I decided to get sign up for the intensive that would allow me to teach. It took me so long to decide I was signing up within 30 days of the training.
I had NO idea what the training would entail. And that my friends is what another post is made of.
Nia. It is awesome. It IS an exercise. It IS a cardio workout. But I will not lie to you to try to keep you interested, it IS so much more. For some reason I cannot (nor can anyone else I talk to) put my finger on, it makes you happy. Try it and see for yourself. Try MY classes, or try someone else’s. Get a DVD, I don’t care. Just try it and then let me know what you think.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: cardio dance, cardio exercise, cardio workout, Dance Workout, high blood pressure, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia exercise, Nia Intensive, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia training, Nia workout, San Jose cardio workout, San Jose dance workout, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia classes, San Jose Workout, trance dance, Turbo Jam, Turbo Jam DVDs, woo-woo, workout DVD | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 27, 2010
El Camino Hospital sponsored a Free Health Fair today (February 27, 2010). It was in one of the ballrooms at the Santa Clara Convention Center. There was various Health Screenings. I didn’t actually get any done because I just didn’t feel like waiting in the lines. Although there were plenty of people that were willing to stand in the lines in the interest of learning about their health.
There was various demonstrations and audience participation dances going on. On TWO stages. It was very interesting and very loud since they had the “main stage” and the “side stage” set up right next to each other.
I was able to do a little Zumba, which I have done before. But I didn’t have the right shoes so it made it difficult. I should have stayed to do the yoga that was on the stage right after us. But I didn’t want to keep my photographer waiting that long.
A fellow Nia teacher was invited to do a demonstration of Nia so she had asked people to join her. I am not sure how many people were there from her invitation or how many were there because they joined us, but I think it turned out to be a good crowd. I would say there was at least 30 people. So many so that they did not all fit on the little dance floor she was given.
It was a great thing. I believe that a lot of people were introduced to Nia. I am thankful to Anita for doing this for us.
My husband came along to get some pictures. He was taking pictures of me and we confirmed that our camera is not able to take good action shots in low light. Here are a few. Thank you for looking.
I hope that next year El Camino Hospital sponsor another Day of Dance and you come out to see that dancing is a great way to workout out and a very fun way to get your exercise on!
You can find information regarding my classes in San Jose and San Carlos on my web site (click here).
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Anita Christensen, dance classes, dance exercise, Dance Workout, exercise, Nia Classes, Nia Dance, Nia exercise, Nia exericse, Nia San Carlos, Nia San Francisco, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, San Carlos, San Carlos exercise, San Carlos exercise classes, San Carlos Nia, San Carlos Workout, San Francisco exercise, San Francisco exercise classes, San Francisco Nia, San Francisco workout, San Jose exercise, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, San Jose Zumba, San Jose Zumba classes, San Jose Zumba exercise, Yoga, Yoga San Jose, Zumba San Jose | 2 Comments »
Terre Pruitt's Blog 