The Heat Is On: Summer Fitness Trends in the U.S.



By Tiffany Owens (Tiffany Owens is a freelance writer living in Portland, Oregon).

Belly dancing: Navel academies
Once considered a floor-show staple at better Middle Eastern restaurants, belly-dancing classes are soaring in popularity, according to an annual ACE survey of certified fitness professionals. As Cedric Bryant, ACE’s chief exercise physiologist, notes in the survey, "It can serve as a refreshing alternative to help with long-term exercise adherence."
Dance instructors claim that the exertion level is akin to brisk walking or low-impact aerobics. Not only will belly dancing give you fab abs, but it will tone and strengthen neck, arm, leg and back muscles as well.
World-renowned belly-dancer Jasmin Jahal runs a school in Chicago that has traditional classes as well as those that mix belly dance with an aerobic fitness workout. Phoenix residents can claim living legend Helena Vlahos, who holds the world record for an amazing bit of belly dancing that involved flipping dollar bills and up to nine quarters with her abdominals. Vlahos teaches belly dancing at various locations throughout the sunny city. Seattle’s Visionary Dance Productions Studio offers 60-minute Power Belly Conditioning and Lunch Hour Belly Dancing classes to help the 9-to-5 crowd whittle their waistlines.

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