Posts Tagged ‘Zumba’
Posted by terrepruitt on April 28, 2013
Wow. I just noticed that there are only three days (if you include today) left of the multiple planks. Three planks a day every day for 30 days. I missed three days. Well, I have three days left to make sure I get all three in.
This morning I took a yoga class at the studio where I teach Nia twice a week. This week is Bay Area Dance Week and so the class I took was free. It was nice to get my mat out and do some poses. I don’t use my mat at home, I just do it on the carpet.
There are a lot of free classes this week so you might want to check it out. You can see a schedule of free classes in my post, Free Nia, Zumba, Belly Dance, Yoga, and More.
So I am going to go do my three planks. Have you done yours yet?
Posted in Planking | Tagged: Bay Area Dance Week, dance studio, Free Belly Dance, Free classes, Free Nia, Free Zumba, Multiple planks in a day challenge, Nia, Nia San Jose, planking, planks, San Jose Nia, Yoga, Zumba | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 25, 2013
Every year the studio in San Jose where I teach Nia Class on Monday mornings and Wednesday mornings participates in the celebration of National Dance week. This year the “week” is actually ten days, from Friday, April 26, 2013 through Sunday, May 5, 2013. This is the 15th year of Bay Area Dance Week, and the 32nd year in which there has been a National Dance Week coalition. BayAreaDance.org states:
“National Dance Week was founded in 1981 to increase awareness of dance and its contributions to our national culture. The first Bay Area Dance Week (BADW) festival grew out of a public dialogue in 1998, when dance artists, administrators, and organizations came together to explore how best to spotlight Bay Area dance during National Dance Week.”
The studio I rent from rents to different instructors who teach a variety of fitness classes and dances. Each instructor can choose to participate in Bay Area Dance Week, by offering free classes.
Bay Area Dance Week at the studio in San Jose starts Saturday, April 27th.
Saturday, April 27, 2013:
12:00 noon – 1:15 pm: Bellydance Essentials – Courtney
Sunday, April 28, 2013:
9:00 am – 10:15 am: Morning Flow Yoga – Eme
Monday, April 29, 2013:
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Nia – Terre (free to NEW Students)
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Zumba – Lili
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Egyptian Bellydance. All Levels – Hala
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Egyptian Bellydance Technique. Int/Adv – Hala
Tuesday, April 30, 2013:
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Drills & Performance Skills – Michelle
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Bellydance Level 1 (4.27.13 changed) Fan Veil Choreography – Natika
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm: Tribal Fusion Technique & Choreography – Natika
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Turkish Bellydance – Natika
Wednesday, May 1, 2013:
9:00 am – 10:00 am: Nia – Terre (free to NEW Students)
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Bellydance – Setareh
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm: Hala Dance Company Rehearsal – Hala
Friday, May 3, 2013:
8:00 pm – 9:15 pm: Bellydance Cardio and Combos – Jill
Saturday, May 4, 2013:
9:30 am – 10:30 am: Bellydance Basics – Amanda
10:30 am – 12 noon: Bellydance and Beyond – Amanda
12 noon – 1:15 pm: Bellydance Essentials – Courtney
Sunday, May 5, 2013:
10:30 am – 11:30 am: The Art of Bellydance – Jizan
In regards to classes at the studio, classes not listed are not open to free drop-ins.
This is the schedule at the time of the writing. Sometimes things change so it is always good to check with the studio and/or instructor to verify class times and participation.
Remember it is National Dance Week so there are free classes all over the United States. I bet there is a class that you have always wanted to take, but have not yet got around to it. So check with the instructor of that class or call the venue to see if they are offering free classes.
The San Francisco Bay Area is beginning the week with a celebration dance on Friday in Union Square Park in San Francisco at noon. The closing event is a Planetary Dance led by Anna Halprin on Sunday, May 5th at 2:00 in Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. You can check for free classes in the Bay Area at BayAreaDance.org. But even if it is not listed on the site check in with the person teaching it or the place it is being taught. They might be participating but maybe didn’t get on the site. So don’t be shy get out and dance.
What classes, in ADDITION to Nia, are you going to take?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Anna Halprin, BADW, Bay Area Dance Week, BayAreaDance.org, Belly Dance, Bellydance, dance classes, Egyptian Bellydance, Fan Veil Choreography, fitness classes, Free classes, Free San Jose Classes, Hala Dance Company, National Dance Week, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia San Jose, Planetary Dance, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay Area Nia, San Jose Nia, San Jose Zumba, SF Bay Nia, Studio in San Jose, Tribal Fusion, Turkish Bellydance, Yoga, Zumba | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on April 6, 2013
You might have read my post about a couple of Nia Celebrities coming to the San Francisco Bay Area (for that post, click here) and around this month (April 2013). Well, they arrived this week and have been doing classes since Thursday. Today was the class in Palo Alto at the Equinox (Gym). The classes are scheduled around the North Bay, East Bay, and Peninsula. The class was great. The 52 in the title refers to what the classes was about. All of the classes in this series are based on the 52 moves of Nia. I have posted about the Nia Moves before. They are not uniquely Nia moves, but Nia has compiled them and bases our routines on them. Nia has also set guidelines as to how they are to be done. As I have also mentioned in my posts about the 52 Nia Moves, when they are included in a dance sometimes they are not done exactly to specifications. Anyway . . . this class was definitely interesting. I love the gathering of Nia people. And when a celeb is in town the energy is astronomical. There are – as of today, April 06, 2013, a few chances left to take a class with Debbie Rosas (one of Nia’s founders) and Nia Trainer Kevin VerEecke. If you can make it I recommend it.
As I just mentioned it is always fun to gather and dance with Nia people. This time was really great for me because several of my students were in attendance. I love that they were able to take a class with Debbie. She is like many successful company leaders . . . dynamic and a force of her own. I think that when you can be in the presence of the person who started something (whether it be a fitness craze, a company, a restaurant, whatever) you get a different understanding of the workout (company, restaurant, etc.). Even if you are just in the same space as the person and you observe them without even talking to them . . . you get a better sense of things. Being able to be in a Nia class led by the founder of Nia is really an education.
This type of class is a different direction for Nia. It is not a dance exercise class it is an exercise class where we do a move from the 52 moves for a minute. The moves and the timing is not based on the music they use a timer. Most moves were done slow, then fast, and then as fast as you can. They are calling it Interval Training, but it seems to copy the “Intermittent Training” formula that Zumba uses. So it reminds me of a Zumba class without the dancing. It is truly an exercise class with loud music and a lot of sweat!
It is easy to do all 52 Nia Moves in an hour especially if you are doing one a minute. With nineteen of the 52 Nia Moves being movements done with the arms, hands, and/or fingers they are easily combined with foot and body movements. So we were even able to do a few of the moves for more than one one minute cycle. But not all Nia routines have all 52 moves so this is another way to get a great workout in!
I am usually torn at a Nia event because I want to dance . . . . I don’t want to miss a moment, but I also want to take pictures to document the event. This exercise class was a little easier to break away from because they were either doing the move slow or fast, so I could jump right back in and be right on the mark.
Here are a few shots that I took. As you can see everyone is happy, sweaty, and having a fabulous time!
Have you ever met the creator of something you love? Did you find it exciting? Are you going to make it to one of these Nia 52 Moves classes?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 52 Nia Moves, April 2013, California Peninsula, Debbie Rosas, East Bay, Francisco Bay Area, Intermittent Training, Interval Training, Kevin VerEecke, Nia celebrities, Nia class, Nia education, Nia founder, Nia Moves, Nia pictures, Nia routines, Nia students, Nia trainer, North Bay, Palo Alto Equinox, Zumba | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 23, 2013
Whether you do Nia, Zumba, yoga, Pilates, country western dance, motor-cycle race, play tennis, or just about anything there are the “Gods” or celebrities of the practice/dance/sport. Often the “Gods” or gurus are the masters or the top teachers, but sometimes it is the CREATOR himself/herself. That is when the event is really rockin’. That is when the events sell out or get so crowded it is crazy. Well, Nia is going through a lot of changes and they have been working for a couple of years training the top instructors to move up even further to become top trainers. The male of the male-female combo that created Nia, Carlos AyaRosas (FKA Carlos Rosas) retired a bit ago, so that left the female creator to continue on. She is coming to the San Francisco Bay Area . . . . . which is a rather large area. She is going to be in the North Bay, the East Bay, and the Peninsula. And it is going to be rockin’. She and a top trainer are going to be here.
April 2013
Debbie Rosas is the (co-)creator of Nia. Kevin VerEecke is a Nia Trainer. They are going to be in the San Francisco Bay Area in the beginning of April (2013). They are going to have seven classes. It is going to be incredible. Every thing has its superstars, its celebrities and these are ours. It is really exciting.
I took my Nia White Belt Intensive at the Nia Headquarters in Portland. The trainers doing the intensive were Debbie and Carlos. Plus they were here for a “Spirit of Nia” tour within the last four years. So I have met them both. I have never met Kevin.
I am excited that Debbie and Kevin will be here sharing the Nia experience. The classes that they are going to be doing are 52 Moves classes. While we have a basic set of 52 Moves we don’t typically do all 52 in every Nia Routine. We do many, but not usually all. In these classes they are going to lead us through all 52 Moves. There are going to be seven chances to check it out.
The first class that will be held will be with Keven VerEecke only in San Rafael. Then Friday’s classes, Saturday’s Classes, and Sunday’s Classes will be both Debbie and Kevin.
The flyer indicates that all classes will have a different playlist. I guess for some people that is important. I know Nia enough to know that all seven classes could be the same EXACT playlist yet all seven classes could be totally different. That is the beauty of Nia. And with two masters leading the dance it wouldn’t matter. BUT . . . the flyer does indicate all classes will have different play lists.
I hope you will take this opportunity. Nia is always fun, but when you have the creator up in front of a room full of people who are there to dance, move, and have fun there is no way you can experience anything but MAGIC.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 52 Nia Moves, Bay Area, Carlos AyaRosas, Carlos Rosas, celebrities, country western dance, dance, Debbie Rosas, Kevin VerEecke, master teachers, motor-cycle race, Nia, Nia Dance, Nia Headquarters, Nia instructors, Nia Intensives, Nia routines, Nia San Jose, Nia teachers, Pilates, play tennis, Practice, San Francisco Bay Area, sport, Yoga, Zumba | 2 Comments »
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 October 18, 2012
I teach a Nia Class for the city of San Jose. The city has it set up pretty cool in that instructors can have a day and a time at a specific community center that we can call “my” class and we can also teach other people’s classes as a substitute. We have this forum where we post requests and needs. 
Many instructors have full time jobs and kids so they have other responsibilities that call them away from their regularly schedule class. Plus there is always a cold, a serious illness, or a bump/bruise or strain. This network of teachers allows us to live our lives and take care of ourselves when necessary. It also helps expose our community to different types of workouts and different teachers. I have shared before how at one point I was trying to make Nia be more like whatever it was I was subbing for. If you haven’t read that post, I am sure you might be able to imagine how that turned out. It made this Nia teacher very unhappy and I don’t think it was a great service for the attendees either. One of the reasons I applied for the job with the city was so that I could share Nia with the community. Recently I taught Nia as a substitute class for Zumba, and my thoughts on Zumba and agility were confirmed.
A few of the student came up afterwards to talk to me about Nia. Some shared how they like it because it was gentle yet allowed them to work up a sweat and get a great workout. One woman made me giddy because she said the same thing that I had just decided about Zumba. It took me a while to get to this conclusion and she jumped to it her very first time. She said that Nia is more complete. She said that she loves Zumba, she does it three times a week, but the moves are not completed. She said it was nice to be able to finish a move. Nia allows you to move through the entire range of motion, through the entire range of the joint. I loved that she was able to get that from one class. I also love and appreciate that she can like both, Nia and Zumba. They are both cardio dance exercise workouts, but they are different. Seeming to always have to explain the two together, I am always thinking about it and just recently reached the agility conclusion. I explained in one of my posts how I feel Zumba seems to only move in one sensation. Well, having gone to a training and experienced the Zumba Fitness Program I believe a Zumba class can move in all five, but it concentrates on agility and touches on the rest. But they are in there if you know to look for them.
So this student who was talking to me after class picked up on that fact that in Nia we move through all five sensations and Zumba focuses on one. This is not to say that is bad, this is just again pointing out how they are different. Also this is me sharing that it is not just other Nia teachers and my Nia students that think that, it is other people who are more familiar with Zumba than Nia. This is just a happy confirmation post sharing that I felt I got it right when I explained Nia and Zumba in that way. Yay.
Both Nia and Zumba are great fun. I encourage you to do whatever it is that will get you up and moving! If you decide what type of movement you want it can help you decide what you can do to get it.
Do you like to take different types of exercise classes? Do you like to just stick to one type of class?
Posted in Nia, Zumba | Tagged: agility, cardio dance, cardio workout, City of San Jose Nia Classes, dance exercise, Dance Workout, Nia class, Nia five sensations, Nia instructors, Nia network, Nia San Jose, Nia students, Nia teachers, San Jose Nia, San Jose Nia class, Zumba, Zumba class, Zumba Fitness | 6 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 13, 2012
After subbing with Nia for a Zumba class today, I made a quick stop at the Farmers Market in our corner of San Jose. I wanted to buy some greens and remembered I could get some pita bread for my hummus. I finally made hummus with my new blender. I pretty much followed the hummus recipe I have and I like, but I think I put six teaspoons of the “bean juice” because I was thinking more liquid would make it a little creamier. I enjoy the creaminess of a specific brand that we used to buy. As I mentioned in my blender post the last few times I made hummus I ended up with whole-bean hummus which isn’t hummus at all, it is just garbanzo beans. So I was thinking that with a super blender it would make creamier hummus. Well, it is not creamier. So the creaminess is not just from blending. And there were still a few bean pieces, but not whole beans as in my last batch and not as many. This batch was also not as grainy, in general, as the last batch. I like making hummus in this blender as opposed to the other blenders or small chopper I have because it is easier to get it out. I have been told the best way to do it is in a food processor, but I don’t have one of those. And I think I have enough appliances at the moment, I will make do with my new super blender.
I made hummus for my niece once and I was talking about how I wanted it creamier so she jumped on the internet and found a website where a woman claimed that the secret to creamy hummus was taking of the HULLS or whatever that “shell” is on the bean. Do you know what I am talking about? That odd ectoskeleton that the beans seem to have? Well, my thought process is that the hull of the bean is part of what give the bean its fiber so I don’t want to remove it. That and, who wants to sit there and pull, pick, peel, or just make sure that the hull is off all the beans? Not me. I want the fiber AND that is one thing I am not willing to spend time on. The “uncreamy” hummus is not THAT bad. I think I will experiment with more liquid. More oil maybe? Or maybe more been juice? Maybe that will help it been more creamy. I don’t want it more watery, I want it more CREAMY. But it was a good batch.
I think the WildSide container that came with the blender allows for a lot of air to be whipped into the blends. I believe that is how this blender does not require a tamper as some blenders do. But it does whip air into things. I think it whipped a bit of air into the hummus, which is fine. Made it a little light and fluffy.
So I have been using my blender and I have been using for what I wanted it for. I use it almost everyday for smoothies and today, I used it for hummus. I am satisfied with the way it made the hummus. I am a little disappointed that it is not as creamy as I was hoping, but I have learned (I believe) that the secret to creamy hummus must be in the ingredients. If it truly is the peeling of the hulls then creamy hummus will not come out of my kitchen. Ha! Well, I guess one day I could experiment to see if that really does make a difference, but it will not become the norm. I don’t need creamy hummus that badly, my new blender does it just fine!
Besides buying it, what is the key to creamy hummus?
Posted in Food | Tagged: creamy hummus, Garbanzo beans, hummus, Nia class, Nia San Jose, San Jose Farmer's market, San Jose Nia, smoothies, substitute instructor, super blender, Zumba | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on October 4, 2012
I don’t like to waste my bananas. My husband won’t eat them if they have one little tiny spot of brown. And I don’t usually eat that many bananas. So you might have learned from some of my posts that I usually use the over ripe bananas in banana bread or Banana Oatmeal Walnut Cookies. Both of these items are not low calorie nor low fat, they are just a way for me to use up my bananas and put a treat in my hubby’s lunch. I have a great recipe I found on the internet for banana bread. I think it was called the World’s Best Banana Bread and I actually think it is. I have issues cooking it though, it never seems cooked all the way through, but that could because it is hand mixed and the bananas kind of chunk up in the batter. Well, since I got a fancy new blender I have been trying to find things to use it for. In the recipe book there is a recipe for banana bread so I thought I would give it a try. Even though the ingredients get mixed in the blender the recipe calls for the bananas to be mashed. Before I stared I grabbed my camera fully intending on taking pictures along the way. The next thing I knew I was putting the pan in the oven. DRAT! I forgot to take pictures as I was making it. But I took some of the finished product. Can you see how smooth it is? Blender bread is really like “commercially made” bread.
I liked the taste ok. It was actually good. I think the vanilla yogurt added the extra sweet, yumminess. Since it has no butter it has to be less calories and grams of fat then my other recipe. And it really was good, but it was so . . . “commercial”. It was like a loaf of bread from the store. There was no texture, no chunks, no . . . personality.
In addition to using my blender the other reason I wanted to try this recipe is because it called for two bananas and that is what I had.
I can’t find the recipe on the Blendtec website and, of course, I did some modifying anyway, so here is what I did:
_________________________________
Blender Banana Bread
Using the WildSide Jar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1/2 C low-fat vanilla yogurt
3/4 C sugar
1/4 C olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 C wheat flour
3/4 C white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add first six ingredients to the container and secure lid. Select “Batters.” After that has blended, add the remaining four ingredients to the container and secure the lid. Press “Pulse” 3-5 times until dry ingredients are incorporated. (Do not over blend.) Pour batter into greased 9″X5″ loan pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
_______________________________
I guess the WildSide Jar and the FourSide Jar for this blender are very different because there are additional/different instructions if you are using the FourSide Jar.
Well, I know that I have been posting a lot about my blender, but . . . I am trying to get a fraction of the money’s worth out of it! I will not turn this blog into a blender blog, I will post about Nia, exercises, other health stuff, and even Zumba, but I am getting some post out of my first uses of the blender.
Do you like your banana bread smooth? Or do you like it more rustic and chunky?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: banana bread, Banana Oatmeal Walnut Cookies, blender bread, exercise, FourSide Jar, homemade bread, low calorie, low fat, Nia, Nia exercise, power blender, WildSide Jar, Zumba | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 22, 2012
Since I am still busy with my Nia classes and I have my Zumba teaching debut coming up, it really helps to have produce delivered. I know Nia and Zumba instructors that can learn a routine in an afternoon and teach it that night. I am not one of those teachers. It takes me a long time, so something that saves me a trip to the store is awesome. But then I do spend a little time trying to figure out what to do with the new-to-me produce. I also like to look up the nutrition. One thing I didn’t remember when I received my beets is that the beet greens can be eaten. I forgot about my own post Borscht Is Beets and I just chopped them off and threw them away. Now I know. I do have faith that beets have more nutrition than dirt, but I don’t actually know the nutrition value of dirt, so I really am just going off of faith.
As a reminder beets have anti-inflammatory affects along with antioxidant properties. According to World’s Healthiest Food website here are some numbers on a cup of raw beet:
1.00 cup raw
136.00 grams
58.48 calories
folate 148.24 mcg
manganese 0.45 mg
fiber 3.81 g
potassium 442.00 mg
vitamin C 6.66 mg
tryptophan 0.03 g
magnesium 31.28 mg
iron 1.09 mg
phosphorus 54.40 mg
copper 0.10 mg
The website states that the phytonutrients in beets are called betalains and the longer the beets are cooked, the less there are in the root. They “recommend that you keep beet steaming times to 15 minutes or less, and roasting times under an hour.” So some of the nutritional value is higher the less they are cooked. I had mentioned something similar in my Borscht post.
The paper that comes with the produce I have delivered states that the beets were gold beets. Being unfamiliar with beets I say, “Ok.”, but they were not yellow. They were deep red/purple — as you can see. And I KNOW, I have seen yellow beets before. I had a co-worker who loved beets and she would eat them in all the colors. Maybe the yellow ones aren’t called gold beets and these really were gold beets? I don’t know. The red and yellow pigment in beets lose their “super powers” the more the beets are cooked.
Since I have had my first foray into cooking beets and making something with beets I think I can do it again. I know I just made a salad, but it wasn’t terrible. I think I need to move onto something my husband just loves. In fact when I asked him if he liked beets he said yes and he reminded me that he loves borscht. I forgot he loved borscht and I forgot I posted about it. So I think I will actually purchase some beets and give it a try.
This is exactly one of the reasons I chose to have a produce box delivered. I never would have bought beets — obviously since back in January 2011 I talked about them and STILL haven’t done it. So now it is one of the things I can add to our list of vegetables for us to eat. I have the tendency to buy the same vegetables over and over even though I know variety is good. I just don’t buy it if I don’t know what to do with it. But when it lands on my doorstep, I feel as if I have to find something to do with it. I am so excited to be expanding my produce horizons. I also love that so many people have ideas on what to do with these new-to-me items.
Do any of you like Borscht? Do you have a recipe for it?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, beets, borscht, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia instructor, Nia routine, Nia Teacher, organic produce, teaching debut, World's Healthiest Food, yellow beets, Zumba, Zumba classes, Zumba instructor, Zumba teacher | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on September 13, 2012
Zumba is astronomically popular. The marketing and “it’s a party” advertising has attracted MILLIONS of people. My first few Zumba classes were fun but I left feeling as if Zumba was not a very safe product. Not all the classes contained a warm up and a cool down. Most had no instruction, just the teacher pointing and making other hand signals I was not familiar with. After having taken the required Zumba Instructor Training, I see that the Zumba Fitness Program is constructed to be safe and meets with the general fitness guidelines. It could have been that the classes I had taken were not following the program with the prescribed class format.
A standard guideline for fitness classes that is considered safe for the general pubic is 10 to 15 minutes warm-up and at least a 5 minute cool down. Since Zumba is marketed as being something everyone can do, the program incorporates these guidelines. Zumba instructors are trained to follow this set formula for the safety of all participants. It is understood that many people who attend a workout class come in “cool”, it could even be that their muscles and bodies have been in one position for most of the day. Muscles need to warm up and get blood flowing in order for there to be less risk of injury. A warm up is necessary for the body, it is also nice for the brain so that one can “shake off” the happenings of the day and embrace the workout that is ahead.
In addition to the Zumba Fitness Program following the standard fitness guidelines in regards to a warm up, a “formula” for the warm-up section of the class was created. The formula has three components, and if they are used correctly they should allow for a nice smooth transition into the remainder of the class. The warm up is built into the Zumba Fitness class model to prepare you for the bulk of the class. The bulk of the class, as you may know, has a very unique formula.
Zumba was not created to be an elite fitness class, it was meant for everyone to enjoy themselves. There are moves and steps to follow, but each participant is allowed to add their own style and their own “flavor” — as it is called in the Zumba world. That means not everyone will be doing it the exact same way. Not everyone can shake their hips as the instructors do on the training DVDS and I don’t think anyone is as loose a Beto.
While I was taking the Zumba Instructor training I kept wondering if the creator of Zumba, Alberto “Beto” Perez and the co-creator of Nia, Carlos AyaRosas know each other, even though one is from Columbia and the other one is from Mexico. Some of the same ideas and philosophies are in both exercise/fitness programs. To me they have a lot of ideas in common. I had no idea how similar the programs were until I attended the Zumba Instructor training.
I have posted a bit in the past about Zumba because people are familiar with what Zumba is but not with what Nia is so they often ask me for comparisons so they can understand. Well, in the past my answers were coming from the perspective of a Nia Teacher who had taken a few Zumba classes. Now my answers and my comparisons will be from an instructor of both Nia and Zumba. So I will be posting more about Zumba in the future. I will be sharing and clarifying a bit about the actual Zumba Fitness Program. I will also be doing my best at delivering the Zumba Fitness Program making my Zumba Fitness classes fun and accessible for everyone.
I’ll see you in class!
Posted in Zumba | Tagged: Beto Perez, Carlos AyaRosas, class format, class model, exercise program, general fitness guidelines, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Teacher, Zumba, Zumba cool down, Zumba Fitness, Zumba Fitness class model, Zumba Fitness Classes, Zumba Fitness Instructor, Zumba Fitness Program, Zumba formula, Zumba instructor, Zumba Instructor Training, Zumba party, Zumba warm up | 2 Comments »
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