A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in a Zumba demonstration. The instructor put us to shame, especially because she was quite pregnant and more fit than I was when I climbed a small mountain after high school.
Oh, Mylanta.
So I made a fool of myself, obviously, but above and beyond the initial discomfort of dancing in front of women I meet every week there lurked a bit of something else...was this just, well, a bit too sexy? Have you seen Zumba?
I mention this because this afternoon Samuel and I were invited to attend a free fitness class in town. It was supposed to be a Mother/Child class, and even though I figured Samuel would be a bit young for it all I thought music and other children would sweeten the deal for him. Except that when I got there some of our exercises were, again, a bit sexy. Not as noticeably as before, but still. And some of the workout clothes were a bit sexy, too. In fact, had Samuel been old enough to notice I might not have participated for his sake.
Why has exercise become so evocative of something else? I think we've all heard about the recent exercise craze for pole dancing. Apparently this helps keep you fit, or something, twinning around a pole. And belly dancing, where it seems almost mandatory to bare your midriff and thrust your hips. And so forth. Is this necessary? All I know is that I'd love to attend an aerobics class, or any fitness class, really, that doesn't have women dressed in revealing outfits bouncing up and down to Shakira's music.
Here's a question: If you came home and you found your husband watching women on television doing the exercises that you do in class, would you, even for a moment, feel anything negative? Jealousy or envy or anger? If not, well, best of luck to you, I suppose, but I can tell you that if I ever came home and David was watching the equivalent of pole dancing on television, words would be exchanged. Loud words.
So why would I do it then? Why support this industry?
4 comments:
I did Zumba classes last summer and fall. I kinda fell off the exercise bandwagon though, to my chagrin, but I digress...
I did Zumba at an all-women's gym, with another Christian friend of mine. I LOVED it. I felt very confident about myself, and yes, sexy. I also did a Zumba class at my regular co-ed gym...there were no men in the class. I would only do Zumba if there were all women there.
Belly dancing is traditionally by women and for women only, with no men present, despite how Western society portrays it. It was intended for married women to teach to newly or soon to be married women, and focused on keeping the pelvic and hip area flexible and open for both sex and childbirth. Side benefit is that it is good for your core/abs.
Part of the thing about Zumba I like, personally, was that it got me more co-ordinated, felt like I could dance if I wanted to (not provocatively, unless it was at home with/for my husband only), and it kept my hips open...I'm tight through my hips/IT Band, and this really limbered me up. Not to mention, fun cardio! If movements in Zumba are too provocative for you, you can modify them. I think too, the level of provocativeness depends on the instructor. I'm not saying Zumba is for everyone...but this is why I have done it and will do it again, soon hopefully!
Hi A'ine, thank you for your take! It is unfortunate but exercises and techniques, when taken out of their original culture, often develop in an entirely different way. For example, I have a dear Christian friend who practices yoga. I pointed out to her that originally yoga was both a physical system and a belief system as well, but she feels completely comfortable doing yoga all the same because, to paraphrase her words, yoga that is taught in her studio is a Westernized, non-faith kind - just an exercise system. Similarly, belly dancing might have been all-women, birth-focused at one point, and for some people might still be that way, but unfortunately in Canada, where I live, it isn't. It's a dance, with a bit of culture thrown in. I, personally, probably wouldn't do yoga because of the beliefs it originally espoused, and I more than likely won't belly dance, because of what it means in my culture. I'm interested in the women's only gyms, though! I wish there was one of those around here.
Usually GoodLife has women's-only gyms in SuperStores...so if there's one near you, check it out. Your Yellow pages should also inform you as well. (I'm the Anne from Conversion Diary, btw!).
I hear ya re. belly dancing! :)
My favourite combo of exercies at my GoodLife was to do Zumba followed by Stretch & Relax...which uses Yin Yoga...the poses are all sitting or lying and focus on hips, hip flexors, and lower back...PERFECT for me. Non-religious...and the exercises were all ones that had been recommended by my massage therapist and physio. before, as well.
Interestingly enough,here in Ottawa there is a dance studio up here that teaches ballroom dancing, as well as Zumba for the more athletically inclined...
I have to say...I really hate the outfits that some women choose to workout in...my husband does as well. I mean, like the commercial says...REALLY???!!!
That's so funny that A'ine mentioned culturally-specific activities. In Mexican and South American cultures, (and this is changing rapidly, due to the influence of our sex-saturated culture)young men and women did not ever *ever* date without a chaperone present. Knowing that your date's older brother or unmarried aunt was going to be sitting behind you at the movies kept things on the up-and-up. Because of this "safety net", young women were able to accentuate their sexual, sensual natures. The men knew they could look, but not touch, and so the women gave them something to look at.
Therefore, a lot of "Latin" art, music, dance, etc. is very sensual in nature, because it developed in this culture where sexuality was protected and kept in its proper marital boundaries.
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