Well, what do we have here; a workout based on my previous love, Salsa.
Throwing my memory back to four years ago, I’d say this workout is like an extra long warm up in class. All the basics in a row with a smatter of stylization. But throwing my memory even further back to about eight years ago, I think it would have freaked me out. I have to remember that it surely took me time to get a grip on the salsa rhtymn, so much so that my instructor, Kiran, would send me off into a corner to clap with the rhythm and forget about dancing for a while. He yelled at me so much the other dancers felt quite sorry for me. That was fun. Finally I did get it and he once did say at a salsa party, in some disgust, that I was the only one who seemed to understand the rhythm. Moment of triumph.
But back to the workout. It’s led by thin muscley instructor, Lisa Nunziella. No one I particularly kew fromt he world of salsa. She’s energetic and has a major set of lungs on her, for sure.
For the first 15 minutes, I got bored witless. But that’s because she explains the salsa basics. Good for beginners. I’m not a hundred percent sure it’s enough, because lots of people take time to get the basic basic – forward, in place, together, back in place together. In class, many weeks have been spent on getting people to step this way automatically. But well, there you have it. If you have a bit of a sense of rhythm, it would work.
The warm up involves some typical dance stretches, but just a few. Reaches, and bend to come up with rounded back, etc. It’s just five minutes or so. There’s a drummer around doing what drummers do, but I find that so incredibly boring it isn’t funny. Salsa music is so upbeat and infectious that I’m sure they should have found something else a little more inspiring.
Accompanying Lisa also were two other super thin dancer-exercisers. Both a little more graceful than the instructor, actually. But that’s not to diminish the workout. I’m not sure it would tire me out, but it’s a good long thirty minute spell of moves which are thoughtfully demo’d at the end of the DVD for those who want to learn them slowly first. There are repetitions rather than explained and you’ll have to watch and get it. The moves include a basic little turn, side to side steps, front cross overs, the Suzy-Q, a few basics with hops, taps and slides etc. It all looks energetic, but I’m not sure whether that comes from the sheer noise Lisa makes.
The music kicks in during the actual workout and what she does is to do the basic, introduce a move and repeat it. Then she adds another move. And another, until she goes through about ten or so. The workout comes from all the repetition, specially when basics are interspersed between each move.
When all the moves have been added, we go through them as a choreography, except that there are no additional stylizations. During the final two run throughs, Lisa tells you to add your own style, but as a beginner, how are you supposed to know what that means? At least they could have had the three people doing different stylizations! Honestly, I’m getting to thoroughly dislike all these workout cliches – come on, lemme see it now, great job, give it your all. Oh shut up already.
Of course, some zest is needed to keep you at it, else you may drop the pace and head to the kitchen instead.
All in all, the workout definitely is as simple as salsa can get, and it gives you some cardio. It will not compare with the outright aerobic workouts there are, specially any that use equipment. No way. No move is deep enough.
This is still low impact, but for anyone who’s looking for an easy workout, this is an option. It’s also a good way for beginners to practice the rhythm. As a solo salsa choreograph, it’s very basic and styling is minimal, but it’s better than nothing.
Thankfull the steps are pure salsa and not bent out of shape, as I’ve seen in some fitness workouts. The music, once the drummer buzzes off, is also pure salsa and not awful salsa pop.
Here she is, making a case for salsa workout. And you can see some of the basic steps she uses.
Somehow, there seems to be a genre of video clips in which dance video instructors come on news shows and try to “teach” the uncoordinated anchors. I always find them exceedingly ridiculous, though I guess the bellydancing ones are the worst.
Well, don’t tell that to Michelle. She did it too.
Yes, it’s also become cliche.
wow thanks for a salsa review with your own experience!!!
I somehow have the same problem – I do not seem to get the rhythm. Some people tried to show me the basic steps, and doing them is not the problem.
But I do not feel the music at all at least not so far. It does not come natural to me at what point to do which move.
I would love to learn it though!
guys – I’d be very grateful if you could tell me your no 1 pick
for
beginner pilates (I noticed some of my regular exercises are actually pilates, but I didnt do any “consciously” so far)
beginner yoga (in yoga, I did take a couple of classes, but only like 4 or 5..)
beginner salsa
with salsa taking into account I am a KLUTZ at Latin dances! no talent!
With me too, the desire was stronger than the talent. I can’t imagine though that I did all those athletic moves just four years ago! Flying at someone and then in the next second I’m upside down. And then off for a set of spins and then go into a sliding “fall” to come upright again and do another few spins! Makes me tired just to think of it!
For beginner pilates, the Pick Your Spot DVD I reviewed is pretty good. Ellen Barrett is a very good instructor.
Beginner yoga – will think and tell you which. There are so many.
And beginner salsa – what kind? Partner or solo? WDNY is coming out with a salsa one soon and that’s beginner level. You could probably use that to get the basics.
Dina, for beginner yoga…. I like yoga conditioning for Weight Loss (http://atisheh.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-suzanne-deasons-yoga.html)
Hemalaya’s “Yoga for Urban Living” is not bad either, as is “Sacred Yoga Practice with Rainbeau Mars – Vinyasa Flow: Beginners.”
Though I have to say, if there’s one area where it’s really worth paying for live classes, preferably small ones, it’s yoga! Having someone correct your form early on, and often, so that you really learn how not to injure yourself, is worth the money. (I say this as a student.)
Dina, I would suggest you look for a gentle yoga class in your area – they’re called gentle, restorative or Kripalu, and the idea is to use modified versions of yoga poses that are easy on the joints. Restorative or kripalu is aimed at rehabilitation and gentle would describe easier versions of poses. I took my first gentle yoga class yesterday and loved it. Of course, I live in Vancouver, which is yoga heaven, I don’t know what it’s like in Vienna for finding a gentle yoga class.
One thing I’ve figured out over the past year or so is that with exercise, one size doesn’t fit all. Everyone’s bodies are different, existing exercise and fitness level is different, and of course there are always some injuries one has to factor in. Or weak spots.
So, I think one should sensibly make fitness goals and then figure out how to get there.
If you have knee and toe injuries, have you reached a stage where your doctor said it’s okay to exercise them? Are you knee problems severe and do they get triggered off whenever you do any exercise that stresses them, or is it just rustiness?
I would proceed this way:
1. Get the injuries out of the way. Talk to the doctor, finish what needs to be done with the physiotherapist, do specific exercises to strengthen any injured or very weak spots.
2. Assess existing fitness level. How’s your flexibility, stamina, strength, weight?:
3. Zero in on specific exercise goals. Eg. increasing stamina in order to do tougher, longer workouts for say, the abs. No point barging into something only to drop in a heap because you can’t keep it up beyond 5 minutes.
4. And finally, choose the means to get there – classes, activities, videos, mix of all.
How does that sound?
Some how the trurkish have a knack to swivel the hips, I wonder you perform in Delhi, As I am moving to Delhi I would love to watch!
Mala, I’m going to disagree with you slightly, ever so slightly.
As you know, I’ve had recurring back and knee pain for years. I’ve gone to the doctor, I’ve gone to the physiotherapist, but — here’s the snag. I find physio exercises just so, so, so boring. Sure, I’ll do them when I’m in severe pain, but they’re just too boring to do with regularity. So, that gets me over the crisis, but not totally pain free, and I wind up with pain again.
Yoga is, so far, the only thing that has actually gotten the injuries “out of the way” for me. Obviously I wouldn’t recommend doing intensive yoga when nursing an injury, but the very gentle kind is great in those situations. It’s more interesting than physio exercises, so I wind up doing it more often, and it has a calming effect which the physio exercises don’t.
For the back, I love Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga DVDs — I reviewed the upper back one (http://atisheh.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-gary-kraftsows-viniyoga-therapy.html), but it’s really the lower back one I use often and that has saved me from back pain attacks. They’re worth their weight in gold.
My one rule is, “Listen to your body.” I’ve gotten better at this since my last back attack, and yoga hasn’t hurt either. If I have slight pain in the evening, I try to do a light yoga program to help it go away. On the other hand, in my regular yoga classes, I’ve pushed myself far beyond what I thought my body could handle. However, since the pain that resulted was only ever the good, muscular pain that comes from intense exercise, I figured I was ok.
Oh, I don’t think of physiotherapy as exercise as such… or voluntary. I think of it like a medicine.
So it’s one of things that has to be done whether it’s boring or not.
So let’s say we’re not listening to our doctors and we take physiotherapy out of the equation. Then yes, yoga would probably be the best bet.
There are some yoga videos specifically for knee and back pain. One’s from WDNY but it’s very slow, involved and a bit difficult to work with. I think “Strong Knees” largely has yoga but i haven’t checked that one out ye.t There’s some “Stott Pilates” DVDs that also focus on relief from pain.
Varad, I don’t perform formally at all.
Where are you moving to Delhi from?
hi irina!
hmm what did you do in physical therapy? my Mom said exactly what you said after her knee surgery years ago.. yet when I went to do physical therapy – maybe I was lucky because I got recommended a super fit, super sporty therapist in her 30s with pretty great qualificatons from Chinese accupuncture in the ear (when pressing the knee spot my entire head was hurting at first, but with no other point she touched, pretty amazing!), great machines etc – I discovered it wasnt boring at all!
also I d always done muscular exercises for the legs, behind, abs etc and her exercises were none I’d read about in magazines like Shape, yet I still do them coz they re so effective!
and fun if you like that exercise stuff, which I do.
Also what machines do they have you working on? mine had me work with a circular “device” that is unstable, I dont know how to describe it. It requires a lot of balance at first, and you do pretty regular leg exercises standing on that, the unstableness increases difficulty and effectiveness by the multiple amount.. I purchased that device for my home as well.
Same with a device called “smart gym” look like a warrior stick, you have straps for your feet, and hold the stick with your hands and can do lying and standing exercises. both devices come with dvds for exercises, too..
I loved my physipotherapist s exercises, and went years after my injury was acute (and stopped only for the fact she took maternity leave…). I saw her as a personal trainer, because many times we would do exercises where she pushed most of her body weight against my leg, things I obviously cannot do alone
Plus the simple thing someone s forcing you to do more repetition than you might do on your own is pretty effective, at least for me