My mom did step aerobics
with the legendary Rekha in the ‘70s. She introduced me to concept of mostly freehand and always high-energy exercises conceptualised around a low plastic step—my mom, not Rekha. But the aerobics
class at my gym is a variation called high/low (hi-lo) impact, minus a step. This sounded interesting
to me, and my friend had attended a session and legitimised it, so I decided to
give it a shot.
Women were chatting all over the studio, and laughing out loudly while knotting their hair or shoelaces. It was a small group of about twelve, a few of whom I recognised from the Zumba class. Jehan, the instructor’s son, was generally making a mess of the colourful fitness balls and squealing with joy in the background. Soon enough, the instructor dragged her boy out of the studio, handed him a phone for company, and asked us to start stretching.
Women were chatting all over the studio, and laughing out loudly while knotting their hair or shoelaces. It was a small group of about twelve, a few of whom I recognised from the Zumba class. Jehan, the instructor’s son, was generally making a mess of the colourful fitness balls and squealing with joy in the background. Soon enough, the instructor dragged her boy out of the studio, handed him a phone for company, and asked us to start stretching.
What I didn’t realise
before I signed up was that my friend is a trained dancer. Not the Zumba
practicing kind, who can shimmy to substitute any dance move, but the one who
knows the difference between a Waltz, Cha Cha (Cha?), Tango, and can look
graceful, and not generally lost
à la Bollywood, while pivoting. No body told me this kind of aerobics involves dance steps, to say the least.
I struggled to ape the instructor while she slowed down to help me keep up. But soon enough, the regulars complained of the boring tempo as they continued to smoothly glide across the floor on the beats of the music. I watched a set of twins fly around in absolute synchronisation and might have stopped and stared.
About 20 minutes into the class, I finally let my guard down, stopped concentrating and trying so hard, and just danced. I was alone in the back row, so I happily dragged my feet from one side of the room to the other, pivoted a little too late, and swayed my arms in no particular direction.
It's quite a liberating feeling, dancing.
I struggled to ape the instructor while she slowed down to help me keep up. But soon enough, the regulars complained of the boring tempo as they continued to smoothly glide across the floor on the beats of the music. I watched a set of twins fly around in absolute synchronisation and might have stopped and stared.
About 20 minutes into the class, I finally let my guard down, stopped concentrating and trying so hard, and just danced. I was alone in the back row, so I happily dragged my feet from one side of the room to the other, pivoted a little too late, and swayed my arms in no particular direction.
It's quite a liberating feeling, dancing.
Recommendation level: if you're good at following dance moves, have a left and right foot and not two left feet, and generally like dancing in an orderly fashion, this is for you.
Good for: anyone who likes to dance the proper way.
Pain points thus far: My hips were in pain and they didn't lie.
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