You Can Do Cardio Dance! 10 Tips to Get You Moving

[judith pitt]

It looks intimidating, doesn't it? That room at the gym where they
have classes with names like Cardio Kickboxing, Step Funk and Pump 'n'
Jump. As you've walked by, you've watched the exercisers out of the
corner of your eye - it looks like loads of fun. But you know you
could never do that - you trip over yourself walking from the
Stairmaster to the treadmill, both of which are getting really boring.
Well, guess what? If for a few minutes you can stop telling yourself
that you can't do cardio dance, maybe - just maybe - you'll discover
that you actually can.
Granted, if you seriously have a problem moving and counting to four
at the same time, one count for each step, then cardio dance is
probably not for you. If you can count to eight while moving, then
there's a chance you may actually become good at it. Can you step-
touch? Meaning, can you take a step to the side and bring your other
foot to meet it? Can you march in place? Can you step forward with one
foot and then raise the other knee? Can you step forward with one foot
and, while standing on that foot, raise the other knee three times? If
you can do that, then you've already performed a cardio dance move -
it's called a "repeater" (a rather obvious name for repeating the same
knee lift more than once). It only gets better from here on.
Here are some tips that will help you make the most out of your cardio
dance experience:

Dress properly, including and especially your footwear! The right
shoes can make your cardio class a joy; the wrong ones can cause
injury. With cardio dance, you are moving sideways quite a bit, as
opposed to forward, like you do when you walk or run. So you will need
shoes made especially for cardio dance. If you don't want to invest in
shoes specifically for cardio dance right away, at the very least make
sure you have cross-trainers - that way, if the classes don't work out
for you, you can use them for other activities. If you're a woman,
make sure you're wearing an athletic bra that gives you a lot of
support, even if you're doing a low- impact class - a jogging bra, at
the very least. You really don't want to be flopping around - it's
uncomfortable, and if you're more than a B cup, it's downright
painful.
When come to class for the first time, show up early and let the
instructor know you're a beginner. That way he or she can take some
extra time with you or at least make sure you're in a spot where you
can see what's going on.
Start off with a simple class, something with a name like "Beginning
Aerobics" or "Hi-Lo I." Don't even think about the "Tae-Yo-Fusion-Funk-
Pump III" class yet! Go as basic as possible. When you're starting to
get bored of basic, then try something more advanced or adventuresome,
like a funk class or a Step class.
Follow the instructor as if you're looking at a mirror. Don't think
about right and left too much - that can get confusing. Just imitate/
mirror what the instructor is doing to the best of your ability. Don't
think about it too much. Thinking gets in the way of doing. The less
you think, the better off you will be.
Once the class has a basic step down, the instructor will usually try
to change it a little, add something fancy like a special kick or a
different way of stepping or - yikes! - a turn. If you are an absolute
beginner at aerobics, this may throw you at first. Don't worry - just
keep doing the basic step the way you were originally taught. Or if
you do try the new way and you get lost, go back to the basic move.
Always, if you get confused go back to the original step until you get
your bearings.
Instructors will often add arm moves to your foot moves. Consider
those optional for now. Arm moves are good because they add intensity
and help get your heart rate up, especially if your arms remain at or
above heart level. But if you're starting off, they can be really
confounding. Try them only when you feel really confident with what
your feet are doing.
Your cardio class will often end with a bit of strength training. Do
the moves mindfully. With many of these classes, you're only using
light weights, or body resistance, so you must focus on the muscles
being worked, or you won't get much of a workout. And if you can't do
those last couple of crunches, don't sweat it. It's not a competition.
If you get one of those cheerleading instructors who wants you to yell
and scream and you aren't the yelling, screaming type - then don't!
Seriously, vocal participation is not necessary. Let everyone else
look silly.
If you're really shy about doing cardio dance around a crowd of
people, then try some videos at home first. There are loads of cardio
dance DVDs out there for all levels of fitness. Just make sure to read
the reviews first to make sure they are appropriate for your
beginner's level.
Here's the real beauty of working out to cardio dance videos - you can
pause the routine and backtrack as many times as you want until you
get a step down. The first couple of times, accept the fact that you
may not get too much of a workout because you are learning the moves
(part of the enjoyment should come from learning, really). But after
that, you should be fine. One caveat - be careful of doing some moves
on carpet, especially anything where you're leaping around, turning or
sliding your feet on the ground. And make sure you've cleared some
room - it's no fun to step-kick your coffee table.
If you keep coming back to your cardio dance classes, the time will
come when everything falls into place and you feel like you're lighter
than air. Enjoy it - that feeling of exhilaration is the dancer's
high, and there's nothing quite like it.
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