Fitness is the bottom line
Twerking isn’t just a provocative dance for the club Laura Baker learns as she works up a sweat wobbling her way to a firmer behind.
The goal is to make the movement flow seamlessly while oozing attitude and confidence, something I lack.
Gyrating pop star Miley Cyrus gave rise to the twerking craze in 2013. Since then the dance phenomenon has not only been big on nightclub dance floors, but also in fitness studios as a form of exercise.
If you haven’t busted out some twerking on the dance floor you should know the basic twerk move involves sitting in a low stance and quickly thrusting your hips and butt back and forth.
Twerk It Out NZ dance fitness classes were first introduced to Auckland in late 2014 and quickly spread to other centres.
Today there are Twerk Fit classes in Auckland, Whangarei, Whitianga, Wellington, Invercargill, Christchurch and Tauranga with pop-up classes hitting Hamilton, Mount Maunganui and Queenstown. I try out the Christchurch class held at Altitude Pole on a Thursday evening. Walking into the class wearing yoga pants I quickly realise I didn’t get the dress code memo. The majority of woman are sporting short shorts and knee pads (the purpose of which initially has me puzzled).
My lack of shorts aren’t an issue in the inviting atmosphere, but I’m told my workout tights will restrict my butt’s ability to achieve the desired shake, not a problem I’ve had before.
With a few newbies in the otherwise skilled class we start the hour going over the basic ’’pop, drop’’ twerk motion. Holding a low squat I experiment with throwing my lower back and behind up and down, back and forth.
The goal is to make the movement flow seamlessly while oozing attitude and confidence, something I lack.
Warm up done and hip-hop music on we jump into the first dance routine. It combines four simple moves that see us twerk while side-stepping, turning and throwing our bottoms from side to side. By the end of the first set with my thighs already burning I realise I’ve under-estimated how physically demanding twerking can be.
Each dance is broken up with circuit training, focusing on exercises that target the legs, bum and core. Two minutes of jump squats, push ups and lunges and we’re straight into another dance, each progressing in difficulty.
Nearing the end of the class I’m introduced to twerking on the floor, and the knee pads come into play. On all fours the class thrusts their buttocks into the air, followed by more booty shaking while in a downward dog position. Treading the line between sexy dance move and body toning exercise, twerking is a surefire way to spice up a bland exercise routine.
Twerking strengthens and shapes the legs, buttocks and back and improves your overall fitness level. Throwing my back out felt like a real possibly, but I’m told it is actually great for improving lower back flexibility. To find out more check out the website twerkitout.co.nz