Never heard of Neuromuscular Integrated Action (NIA)? You’re not alone, but the many benefits, both physical and mental, are leading many people to learn more about it – and to get involved.
NIA combines movements from three martial arts (Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido) and three dance arts (Modern Dance, Modern Jazz, Duncan Dance), as well as movements from healing arts like Yoga, to provide a unique fitness technique that replaces the idea of punishment with pleasure.
Practiced as an equipment-free way to work out and stay fit, NIA has many benefits, including an increase in the pleasure of living in your body, weight loss and maintenance, improved muscle tone and strength, flexibility, agility, balance and stability, improved posture, better concentration, a happier emotional state and much more. The number one principle is the joy of movement.
Londoners are enjoying the benefits of NIA, which was first created in the early 1980’s by Carlos and Debbie Rosas in Santa Rosa, California. In London, a NIA group class participates on Saturday mornings (9:30am) at the Kinsmen Seniors Centre. Jill Weiss, the instructor, has a NIA white belt and 15 years of experience teaching dance as well as practicing NIA. She has been teaching the unique fitness activity for five years.
With the help of energizing and fun music, Jill guides the NIA class through all the different movements while having fun doing it. As an instructor, she adds flare and excitement, while participants enjoy the social component of the workout as well. There’s an already big NIA community in London, including adults and seniors, and it’s only growing.
Interested in getting involved? There are various classes offered through the Spectrum program, as well as others at private clubs. Besides the Saturday morning offering, there are classes for seniors on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:35am.
Susan Meehan also offers Nia classes for adults Monday and Thursday mornings and evenings, at a dance studio on Waterloo Street (www.bodymindmedicine.ca). And every May there is a large gathering called NIA Palooza, which is attended by as many as 100 people from all over Ontario, the United States, and even Europe.
Submitted by SportsXpress team and photo by Greg Matthison
