Noblewi Health Tips and Advice

I’ve lost 28lbs in the last six months or so, and I’m looking – and feeling great, but there are some bits that need firming up, particularly around the stomach and waist area. Swimming is helping with all over toning, but it’s not addressing the midsection, so when I saw an advert for belly dancing classes, run by our local council, I decided to give it a go.

I live in a small village on the Costa Blanca, with a fairly large expat population. I assumed the class would be full of expats, as I couldn’t imagine the locals going in for something as sensual as belly dancing. How wrong can you be? There’s another English girl, and the rest of the class are Spanish, ranging in age from about 20 years old to around 60. At 57, I’m the second eldest in the class.

It seems the English ladies were put off because the instructor is Spanish, but they don’t know what they’re missing. The classes are held in a studio with mirrors along one wall, so you can follow what everyone is doing. It’s also a fun way to learn the names of various body parts in Spanish!

Each session begins with stretching exercises to relaxing music. This not only prepares your body for the dancing, it puts you in the right frame of mind. Belly dancing is both sensual and spiritual, and even the fast moves should be fluid, so you need to rid yourself of any stress before you start. After a quick run through the steps, it’s into the dance.

The correct posture is vital – tail tucked in, and stand straight and tall, to avoid back problems. Surprisingly, the familiar movements we associate with belly dancing do not involve the belly and hips – the legs and thighs do most of the work. After little more than a month, my once flabby thighs are toned and firm, so I am already seeing the benefits of belly dancing.

Belly dancing is great fun as well as great exercise. The music just carries you along, although some of the moves take a bit of practice before you get them right. My particular nemesis is the ‘figure of eight,’ which involves describing the number 8 with your hips, powered of course by the thighs. It sounds simple enough, but there’s a right way to do it, which annoyingly seems to elude me.

When I show off my new moves to my husband, my figure of eight is perfect. Put me in front of the mirror – which in theory should make the move simpler to execute – and I’m all over the place! Still, it’s early days yet. However, I’m ahead of the rest when it comes to another move – ‘the twist.’ As a child of the 1960′s, I was an enthusiastic performer of the dance of the same name, and won a couple of Twist competitions. The belly dancing move is very similar, but those who are not former Twist Champions – which is everyone else in the class – just can’t get it right.

After an hour and a half of dancing, it’s time for relaxation and stretching exercises, and as we’ve all put so much energy into the class, it’s all we can do not to nod off on our exercise mats! We have an incentive to improve our belly dancing skills, as the class is due to perform a dance at the village fiesta in July, and we all enjoy ourselves so much, we look forward to Monday afternoons and the class.

Belly dancing is great for firming, stretching and toning. After a few weeks, I am much more supple and energetic. Belly dancing is also low impact exercise, so if, like me, you suffer from joint problems, it’s more suitable for you than aerobics or jogging. Although belly dancing is fun, it is also excellent exercise, and you’re much more likely to stick to an exercise programme if you enjoy it. Why not try belly dancing soon, and release your inner, sensual self?

author, Sandra Piddock.

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