Turkish style belts…my sworn enemy.
Why? I was made acutely aware that I had a bit too much
to shimmy one particularly horrible evening when I dressed
to dance and found that my beloved belly had now become
an object of ridicule by this v-shaped bastard, as the
belt taunted my abs with poochiness and unflattering
overhang in precisely the area where tips would land,
and eyes would see.
I wasted no time in finding Joe, a not-too-hard-on-the-eyes
personal trainer who promised to whip my belly back
into the soft, yet supported form it had previously
been.
I began my foray into fitness with great enthusiasm…and…one
day, after grueling crunches and while hyperventilating
on the treadmill, I began to hallucinate, err, ponder
the immense cross training a belly dancer must endure
to be in top shape for life as a professional performer
and teacher.
Not only are endless hours of our own rehearsals necessary,
but we must take master classes, drill our own students,
and then head to the gym, yoga studio, or Pilates place
to shape our physique.
In the spirit of the current trend of fitness-for-everyone,
I have developed an intense plan for pro dancers (or
those wanting to be a pro) that will whip you into shape
while allowing all multi-taskers not to miss a beat!
Gia’s Five Day Cross-Training Work-Out for Belly
Dancers ™
(Available soon for download on to your iPod or micro
chipped right into your head)
Please note…perform these exercises at your own
risk..This, and other exercise programs should always
be done with caution and the permission of your doctor…or
therapist…or accountant…or all of them.
Maybe you should ask your mother too…she knows
everything.
* Day One: Practice Stomach Isolations. My
cat has been feeling neglected. But I am late for a
job and missed my rehearsal. No problem! I read on a
website that placing your cat on your abs will help
you to isolate the muscles needed to get a good belly
roll.
OK. First…find cat. Second, place cat on stomach.
Third, gently work lower abs until cat’s behind
is elevated. Lower. Work diaphragm to raise cat’s
upper body. Lower. Fourth, find something in my medicine
cabinet to help with multiple scratches from pissed
off cat.
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New from al
Qamar Enterprises...The Ab-Cat!
Here I'm working on my lower abs and Edgar's
thirst for sparkly things.
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* Day Two: Strengthen
arms for veil work. Veil work looks lovely
if you don’t have the distraction of extra ‘veils’
of skin hanging from your arms. To tone, simple pack
your gig-bag as you normally would for work…but
this time, pack two! Slip in a pole (a broom will
do nicely!) and, keeping your elbows tucked into your
side and your knees slightly bent, begin bicep curls.
To work the underarm area, raise the bar above your
head and drop the weight down behind you, keeping
your elbows near your ears. Fusion and Tribal dancers
be warned…Kuchi weighs more than glass beads.
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Fluff and fold? Spin
Cycle?
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* Day Three: Shopping
translates to wallet strengthening! This
exercise helps not only your sagging credit, but also
your hands and wrists for great zilling! Done quickly
enough, it can be aerobic too! First, sit at your
computer desk in a comfortable chair, sit at a 90-degree
angle, without allowing your back to rest on the chair.
Hold in your abs while reaching for the mouse. Begin
with a search of your favorite costume maker. Nice
bedleh eh? Then check a vendor’s site for the
cost if you don’t buy direct from the maker.
OK…feel the burn as you head straight away to
eBay. Type in your keywords and see your costume listed
amongst the harem pants and endless parade of cholis.
Working up a sweat aren’t you? Do you want to
do extra reps? Wait until the last minute to bid and
let your fingers fly!
* Day Four: Balancing. What’s
a busy belly dancer to do when it’s laundry
day and she's got to work on balancing a Shamedan,
sword, tray or other object for an upcoming show?
What else? Start with a full load of laundry…whites
are fine…balance on your head (other balance
points don’t work as well…) while you
walk around, dust, clean windows, put the dishes away.
Oh, and, if you do your laundry at a Laundromat, you
might want to skip the bedleh…it melts near
the driers and no one would lend me a quarter…
* Day Five: Stretching. After every workout,
it is important to stretch. Make sure that you take
time to stretch! Begin by sitting on the edge of your
bed, Lift the ribcage and isolate as you stretch to
the left and grab that giant bottle of ibuprophen.
This can also be done at your dining room table. Reach
for wine. Drink liberally.
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Anti-inflamatory wrist
circles...
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