Barefoot dance and martial arts combine for this workout
"Nia is a sensory-based fitness practice," says Portland instructor Erin Curren about a workout that blends martial arts, dance, and healing.
Author: Amanda Hill
Published: 2:39 PM EST November 18, 2019
Updated: 11:56 AM EST November 20, 2019
PORTLAND, Maine — While we specifically seek out alternative workouts for our segment, "Working Outside The Box," Nia is something that's difficult to describe. So we leave the hard part to Portland-based black belt instructor, Erin Curren: "It blends the precision and power of martial arts, the expressiveness and play of the dance arts, and the awareness and choice of the healing arts."
Call it connecting with your inner-most self; call it working out; or call it a silly dance class. Whatever you call this class, you'll by wiping the sweat away when it's over.
"I have people dragging coming into class," says Curren. "Even though they’ve been getting this great workout, they leave with more energy, which is sort of the Nia paradox. It’s sort of a sneaky work out."
When you arrive, you kick off your shoes and socks. You want to feel every single movement, from the base of your feet to the tips of your fingers. "We have 7,000 nerve endings in our feet and that gives us a lot of information that travels through our ankles, through our knees or hips, and helps us make choices for pleasure and comfort; stability and strength." Curren is pretty laid back in class, calling herself more of a guide. It's up to you to move as much - or as little - as you'd like.
"Nia is very adaptable for highly trained athletes or for couch potatoes who want to slowly get back into moving," says Curren. "I have students in the same class who are 26 and 85 [years-old] and I love when that happens because they are moving their body's way."
To learn more about Erin Curren's Nia class, click here.
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