Exercise of any kind was never my strong point at school. I was always the last one to cross the finishing line on sports day and could never quite jump high enough to score on the netball pitch.
When it came to dance, forget it. I was as rhythmic as Ann Widdecombe doing the salsa in six-inch heels.
So when I got invited to try out Cheerobics, the latest dance and fitness craze to hit the UK, I was apprehensive.
Even more so when I was told I’d have to dress up as a cheerleader.
At 37, surely I’m the wrong side of school age to be doing such Glee-style things, and as for putting my tree-trunk legs on full display? No thanks!
But Cheerobics, billed as a mix of US cheerleading and aerobics only with pompoms, promises to burn up to 700 calories a session, and after a weekend spent gorging on blueberry muffins and chocolate cookies, I certainly needed to do a few star jumps.
But luckily, I didn’t have to perform at an American footbal l game.
Instead I nervously arrived at a dance studio in Central London armed with my trainers, three-quarter length sweat pants, and a vest, hoping the addition of a pair of pompoms would be enough to transform me into a sexy cheerleader, or at least be big enough to hide behind.
But then I was handed a small rolled-up package. “Here’s your outfit,†beamed Jessica Rossi, founder of Cheerobics and former captain of the RH Tom Cats Cheerleaders, who compete internationally.
“Pop to the changing rooms and put it on, then we’re good to go.â€
The black T-shirt was demure enough and Âfitted perfectly.
But as I fished out what I thought was some kind of dance scarf and began putting it over my head, one of the other girls gently tapped me on the shoulder.
“That’s the skirt, loveâ€, she giggled. “Oh yes, rightâ€, I replied red-faced, pulling it down to my waist.
It was about the size of a postage stamp and barely covered my bum. Thank God I’d had the foresight to throw shorts in my bag that morning!
“Right, we’re going to start off with a little demonstration from the dance crew,†Jessica announced.
With her long, lean torso and tiny waist, she was the kind of girl I’d always aspired to look like.
But sadly, 5ft 2in stumpy Liverpudlians like me didn’t tend to grow legs that went up to their elbows. Maybe Cheerobics was the answer?
“This is the kind of training you would do for cheerleading,†Jessica explained as the crew from the UK’s only pro-cheerleading team, Zoo Fever, wowed us with a series of Âcarefully choreographed moves.
“And the whole point of Cheerobics is to bring it over to the Âmasses.
“Not everyone feels they are fit enough or have the right lifestyle to be able to take up cheerleading full-time, so we’ve created a team of 56 instructors to teach the classes.
It makes cheerleading very accessible to anyone of any age and you get a full fitness programme.â€
If that means a slimmer waist, pert bottom and inner thighs that could crack walnuts â€" “bring it on!†I thought.
But then the crew got started and panic set in. As they lifted, leapt and somersaulted around, my ÂÂconfidence wa ned.
One girl was catapulted into the air by her right leg and somehow stretched the left behind her back and up to her neck like a scorpion.
“Blimey, there’s no way I’ll be able to do that,†I whispered to the nubile looking 20-something beside me shaking her pompoms loose. But I needn’t have worried.
The class was a lot Âtamer than the demonstration and as we got into the swing of things, I began to enjoy myself. We warmed up by marching on the spot while simultaneously raising our pompoms up in front, out to the sides, then above our heads in a timed sequence of movements.
The music was funky and uplifting and helped boost my energy.
Then Jessica took us through a basic routine â€" lifting one leg into a high knee while raising the opposite arm, then swapping sides. We ran through this a couple of times before performing the Âroutine while moving Âforwards and backwards and...oh, hang on, I was Âactually quite good!
The class didn’t get truly energetic though until about 10 minutes in, when even the token male of the group broke out in a sweat. But then, he had turned down the offer of an “extra large†mini skirt and opted to keep his work suit on instead.
As we grapevined across the room â€" some of us going in opposite directions to one another â€" my focus rested on the pom-pommed arms flailing around me. I came perilously close to being smacked in the face once or twice.
But I wasn’t as unlucky as the poor girl just behind me who split the Âtrousers she had on under her skirt wide open. Damn that pesky touch your toes manoeuvre.
After 20 minutes of cardio, we were instructed to get out some yoga mats and “hit the floorâ€.
Impressively, Jessica â€" who “whooped†her way through the class â€" even Âmanaged to incorporate the pompoms into the toning exercises at the end, placing them on the mats and using them as touch points for push-ups and tricep dips. My arms were definitely quivering.
I left the class feeling energised and more than a little proud of myself.
I even braved what’s known in the trade as a pyramid on two of the Zoo Fever girls’ legs.
“You’re a natural,†they told me as I wobbled precariously on them, trying to smile for the camera.
Move over Ms Widdecombe, there’s a new two-stepper in town.
Altogether now: give us an N... give us an I... give us an L..
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar