Channeling your inner cheerleader Cheerba with the Houston Texans cheerleaders
While I was immersed in figure skating growing up, I missed out on the spirit and fitness of cheerleading. So I jumped, literally, at the chance to try Cheerba, an hourlong dancefitness workout set to pop, Latin and hip-hop music and done using pompoms.
Held at the Houston Texans’ Methodist Training Center, the workout is organized by current and past Houston Texans cheerleaders. My class was led by Ashley Gardner, a 2006-08 Texans cheerleader who owns Sideline Spirit! Cheer Co. in Spring.
On an unusually cold night, more than 100 women piled into a very chilly training center ready to shake our pompoms, which were provided. My colleague, Diane Cowen, who also missed out on childhood cheerleading, snapped up color-coordinated pompoms to match our outfits.
If we got off beat, we would still look chic.
Gardner started with a warmup of stretches and pompom shakes, then we moved into a series of jumping jacks, squats and side bends. “This is easy,” I confidently thought to myself until the routine got revved up.
Gardner proceeded to do twists, kicks, hip swings and the signature hair tosses that every pro cheerleader does so well, leaving me dazed and even more confused. It turned out that as long as I kept moving and shook my pompoms with vigor, I got a good workout.
To avoid looking like we had two left feet, Cowen and I stayed in the back row most of the class. When we turned left as everyone turned right, we just kept stepping, jumping and shaking those pompoms.
I eventually was coaxed to the front row, between Texans cheerleaders Allison and Lesha, who called out number counts to me so I could stay on beat. By one of the final sequences, I was able to move, twist and shake on beat, and it was fun.
Texans cheerleader coach Alto Gary said the class was launched in December at the request of alumni cheerleaders who still wanted the workout even though they were no longer on the football field. She recruited some alumni cheerleaders to teach classes.
It’s open to women 17 and older, and no experience is necessary, though there were many former cheerleaders and others wanting to try out for the squad in the class.
Kelley Maddox, a former Texans cheerleader, joined friend Lascena Milner, a former Miss Katy, for the class. Milner said it was her first dance class since high school and she hoped to try out for the Texans squad later this year.
Of the workout, Maddox said: “You never think jumping around, whipping your hair and shaking pompoms would get you in shape, but it does.” joy.sewing@chron.com twitter.com/joysewing Where: Houston Texans’ Methodist Training Center, 8335 Lantern Point, across from NRG Stadium. Free parking in Teal lot. Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Feb. 26 The workout: A fun, hour-long dancefitness class. Fitness level: No cheerleading or dance experience necessary. Intensity: Medium to high, depending on how hard you try. Gear: Workout pants, sports bra, towel and water bottle. Price: $10 a class; pompoms are provided. Information: Visit facebook.com/ houstontexans cheerleaders