Do you think outside the box? If not, then try Capoeira or Zumba!
Posted by Jennifer Popper on Fri, Mar 13, 2009 @ 07:33 PM
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX - Owning a Pilates and yoga studio has helped me embrace this phrase. I try to think outside of the proverbial box when I imagine what else my instructors and I can offer our clients. Enhancing a class schedule without sacrificing the core (pun intended) of what we offer at Studio Fitness is key to keeping our clients engaged and wanting more. Of course, we do not want to sacrifice what they have been coming for in the first place, but we want to keep it interesting.
To that point of offering more, we've added some fun classes to our repetoire, and as such, I've come to realize that we've got a theme night here at Studio Fitness. Our Thursday night classes have a Brazilian flair, with both Zumba®, and then Capoeira on the schedule. Personally, I've taken a few Zumba® classes, and all I can say is that it's a good thing I can laugh at myself. Some people are able to just let loose and let themselves go; they feel the music, they don't care what they look like, and they just have a blast while working up a sweat and working off some calories. One client said, "If I can't shake it here, I can't shake it anywhere!"
Not sure if Zumba® is for you? Well, if you're ready for some fun, check out this Zumba® YouTube video that has been viewed by over 2 million people. Then stop by for a class with Mary Liebau or Tina LeVine. Both of our instructors inspire you to think outside the box, and shake it if you've got it!
Capoeira is new to me, and a new class on our schedule. For me, I am really enjoying it, and I have even convinced my husband to participate. I know it's not supposed to be about me, right? It's about the clients. But I have had so much fun, just two classes in! I've been reading more about Capoeira, hearing more about it, and even saw it mentioned in one of my favorite catalogs, Title Nine. There is usually a tiny blurb about the models who appear in the catalog, and on page 95 of the Summer 2009 issue I just got in the mail, it says, "Yhazi's dream job would be teaching Capoeira in Brazil." I like the dress she is wearing, and am considering purchasing it, but even more impressive are her arms, and if Capoeira can help me get arms as cut as hers, then count me in!
In Capoeira, participants form a roda, or circle, and take turns playing instruments like a berimbau, singing, and sparring with someone else in the center of the roda.
The benefits of playing Capoeira include building confidence, and increased concentration, alertness, and circulation. It's a great stress-reliever, and a full-body workout, and balances both body and mind.
Not sure Capoeira is for women? Traditionally, women were practically absent from the world of Capoeira. Today, they actually
make up the majority of students. Women are attracted by the aspects
of dance, flexibility and physical resistance that the game requires
and develops. Overall, Capoeira is for boys and girls, men and women, basically for all ages. Take a look at the following video, and notice the young girl participating in Capoeira! (Save the Date: experience Capoeira on June 20th at the Montclair Museum, more details to follow.)
Finally, a sorority friend of mine from Syracuse University, who lives in New Jersey and teaches yoga, posted this video after the Syracuse/UConn Big East Tournament game that went to six... yes, count it, six, overtimes last night! Syracuse perservered, with the game finishing at almost 1:30 am, and I am oh, so proud! Yoga Jen's video struck me as also thinking outside the box. Her yoga tweens are rallying around Syracuse, all as they do tree pose, incorporating yoga into everyday life... take a look!
I challenge you to look around, find something that you've always wanted to try, something about which you've always been curious... and join me as you learn to think outside the box.