Indonesia
Burn Calories with Belly Dancing
Treadmill and basketball are getting old? Try this fun stuff: belly dancing.
Is dancing a sport? Definitely not. But if the purpose is to burn calories and body fitness, belly dancing can be an option. The moves make body more flexible, tight and fresh.
For Superkids like us, a 60 minutes exercise session is enough to drain energy. “Yes weary but still fun,” said Chelsy Sutejo, a second grade student of Mawar Sharon Christian School Surabaya. She joins the belly class dance for kids on the fourth floor of Grand City Mall Surabaya. Once a week exercise will do every Tuesday at 14.00.
Before the practice, Chelsy and friends do some warming up led by a professional belly dancer. The swing hips left and right repeatedly. On the practice session, Chelsy start to do the vibrating shimmy moves, hip up, hip drop, chest up and chest drop.
“This is not something like Inul Daratista the dangduter’s goyang ngebor (drilling move) or so. Belly dance is so different. In fact, even when the original moves are somewhat erotic, it becomes funny and adorable when performed by children,” said Wily Filosofia, founder of Belly Dance Surabaya.
The belly dance instructor at Clark Hatch Club (Garden Palace Hotel) and Gold’s Gym Surabaya added, belly dance is also a medical therapy for patients with back pain and hip. Wily herself initially acquainted with belly dance because of injury. She fell from a horse and had back pain that didn’t heal. When wearing high heels, she could suddenly fell down because of a rigid spine.
“I tried yoga and others, not much different. Then i tried belly dancing. What do you know, the pain disappeared. So i never have to get embarrassed by fall in public for high heels,” said Wily chuckles. She assumed that is because the very focused moves of belly dancing. When hips are moving, the rest of body will stay still. “It’s one at a time move, no mixing,” said Wily.
Other effects practicing this Middle Eastern dance is also experienced by Najla Nurul, a five-years old girl who joined about a month ago. She claimed to be more confident with the supple body. “A bit tired because the movement is difficult but i enjoy learning it,” Najla, who trained with his mother Ainun HF, reasons.
Although of the flat boring looking moves, shaking your hips while spinning and twisting are enough to make you sweat like after jogging around the stadium. Yes, this is not just about beauty moves, but also keeping the body to be more healthy and strong. Interested in give it a try, Superkids?
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
PHOTO: HAFIDA INDRAWATI
