New Workout Style Is Full of Funk and Games : The combination of low-impact aerobics and MTV-style hip-hop dance offers cardiovascular conditioning and fun.
Tired of the same old exercise at the same old time? Do you fear falling asleep at the step or nodding off on the Stairmaster? If so, it’s time you turned up the volume, got with the program and did some jamming.
Say what?
Known as cardio-funk, this new brand of aerobics is lighting a fire under the fitness world, and a lot of people are hot for it. A blend of low-impact aerobics and hip-hop dance made popular by MTV, cardio-funk combines the best of both worlds--the cardiovascular conditioning of aerobic exercise with the excitement of funky dance steps.
“Hip-hop is an alternative to traditional aerobics,” says Debbie Little, fitness manager at Bally’s Nautilus Aerobics Plus in Orange. She teaches the class, titled Cardio Jam. “People like funk because it’s high intensity; you get a great workout, but you don’t jar joints and muscles in the process. It’s also a lot of fun.”
Many people are gravitating toward funk aerobics because they’re tired of the “same old, same old” of high- and low-impact and even step classes.
“Before I found funk classes, aerobics was boring to me,” says Cindy Mathews of Newport Beach, who takes several funk classes a week. “Even when I tried various classes, I just got tired of it all and found it hard to motivate myself to go to the gym. Now it never enters my head not to attend class.”
When she started funk classes almost a year ago, Mathews was 35 pounds overweight. Since then she has lost those pounds. “Funk adds such an interesting dimension to aerobics that you forget you’re working out,” she says. “There’s a plan to funk--you’re not just jumping around and getting your heart rate up. You’re actually learning something.”
Cardio-funk appeals to variety of people, says Kelly Watson, whose job it is to identify fitness trends. She is director of business development, sports and fitness marketing for Reebok International’s West Coast division. “Not only do veteran aerobicizers of all ages like it, but young people who aren’t into fitness otherwise also love it. You’ll see moms and their teen-age daughters taking classes together,” she says.
Little says her students generally range in age from the 20s to the 40s. More women than men take her class, although she has several male devotees.
“People who like funk aerobics generally don’t like to be confined to one spot and enjoy being challenged,” says Sandra Joyce, a certified fitness specialist who teaches cardio funk classes at various Family Fitness Centers and at Girl’s Gym in Newport Beach.
Unlike the average aerobics class, funk takes a little more concentration. You have to pay attention in order to learn the various steps. But you don’t have to be a dancer to be able to jam, Little says. “The combinations are easy to follow. With some practice, you’ll be doing great.”
A typical Cardio Jam class starts with a short warm-up. Then the teacher shows you a step, which you practice several times at half-time until you get the hang of it. Once you’ve got it down, you perform the step faster, or “hyper,” as Little calls it.
As the class progresses, you learn more steps and add them to your routine, starting from the beginning each time. Some instructors do one long routine during a class, while others do two or three different ones. The class ends with a cool down. There is no floor work.
Although cardio-funk has become popular recently, it has been around since the mid-’80s, when it originated in the Los Angeles area as an offshoot of jazz dance. It never took off in clubs at the time, Little says, because the original funk didn’t follow aerobic safety guidelines.
“While many jazz moves are great for dancers, they weren’t necessarily safe for the average person,” she says.
In 1990 Chris Toledo, a former aerobic instructor for Club Med, began teaching his immediately popular cardio-funk class at the Voight Fitness and Dance Center in Los Angeles. His skillful, safe teaching and the popularity of hip-hop music caught the attention of experts involved in aerobic safety guidelines and policies.
Sensing that funk aerobics was a trend to be reckoned with, Reebok International teamed with Toledo to set up the City Jam program. As it did with Step Reebok, the company hopes to make cardio-funk a national fitness staple in health clubs. In addition, they want to lure younger people who wouldn’t otherwise exercise. They are test marketing the concept in Los Angeles and plan to go national in 1993.
“I think that aerobics has really come full circle,” says Watson, who’s heading the City Jam program in Los Angeles. “Aerobics really started as an extension of dance, then it evolved into the regimented aerobics popular in the 1980s, and now with cardio-funk, it’s moving toward a more free-style in terms of movement and even clothes.”
“In many funk classes, instead of the classic head-to-toe Lycra, you’ll see an eclectic, free-style, layered look that focuses on comfort and freedom of movement.”
If you’re planning to try a funk class, get the most out of your workout by keeping in mond the following tips:
* Don’t be intimidated. Although cardio-funk can appear daunting, with a little practice you’ll get the hang of it. “Funk is broken down into a series of simple moves, and with practice just about anyone can master it,” Watson says. The secret is to shed your inhibitions and let loose.
“When you try your first funk class, don’t get discouraged,” Mathews agrees. Although she never had a dance lesson in her life, after attending several classes she got the hang of it and can now jam with the best of them.
* Learn to laugh at yourself. “When I first started, I was carrying that extra weight and tripping around,” Mathews says. “You need to see the humor in the situation and realize that everyone goes through the same thing when learning.”
Little says she was also stumbling all over herself when she took her first few funk classes. “Your first try is hard, and you may get a little frustrated, but it gets easier every time,” she says.
* Add arms later. “Just focus on the feet and don’t use your arms until you get some steps down,” advises Joyce, who says that you might even want to watch a class before trying it.
* Start slowly. When you’re beginning and unsure of your footing, try doing the routine in a low-impact mode until you get the hang of it.
* Keep moving. “The tendency is to want to stop and rest in between dance steps while you are trying to learn,” Little says. “Don’t do that because you could cause yourself lightheadedness.”
* Try different classes. All teachers and their classes are different in personality. If you try one class and don’t like it, chances are you may like another one.
Joyce suggests looking for an instructor who can break the steps down and simplify the moves. “You don’t necessarily want someone who is a good performer--the key is to find a good teacher,” she says.
Finding the Funk
Here is a selection of gyms that offer cardio-funk classes:
* Aerobic BodyWorks Inc., Mission Viejo, (714) 347-0335.
* Bally’s Nautilus Aerobics Plus, Orange, (714) 978-6316.
* Girl’s Gym, Newport Beach, (714) 646-8828.
* Family Fitness Centers, Buena Park, (714) 527-8800; Costa Mesa, (714) 557-4401; Huntington Beach, (714) 847-7800; Irvine, (714) 262-0600; Laguna Hills, (714) 586-6600; Newport/Irvine, (714) 725-9100; Orange, (714) 639-9300 and San Juan Capistrano, (714) 489-9900.
* Gym for Women, Irvine, (714) 752-1234 and Newport Beach, (714) 752-7084.
* L.A. Fitness, Anaheim, (714) 634-1919; Westminster, (714) 373-4460; Irvine, (714) 261-7500; Tustin, (714) 544-0110; (714) Orange, 282-7370; (714) Garden Grove, (714) 537- 0212.
* Sports Connection, Costa Mesa/Newport Beach, (714) 650-3600.
* Total Woman Health Spa, Laguna Beach, (714) 497-5464.
