Blend Western and Eastern Traditions Together for the Ideal Workout in Nia If you’re looking for a balanced way to get a moderate workout that heals and supports your entire body while not focusing on hyper-competitive narrow niches, Nia is your path to what you want. In its longer form, Nia means non-impact aerobics or neuromuscular integrative action. As you can tell from these names, it tries to utilize many different parts of the body in coordination, and doesn’t involve heavy use of force or unpleasant strain. Created in the early eighties, Nia is a blend of martial arts techniques such as t’ai chi and aikido with dancing and several healing arts to create a style of workout that is truly unique, comforting, and all-encompassing. Nia conditions the entire body, with a minor emphasis on non-intimidating levels of cardio fitness to improve one’s stamina and comfort for many different physical activities. Nia is a very flexible and robust exercise system, with over fifty basic movements used at any of three different levels of intensity to create a routine that works for each student especially. One slightly unusual trait of Nia that many students find particularly enjoyable is the fact that the exercise is choreographed to music, and can be accompanied by many different musical styles, just as the exercise routine itself is a combination of many different kinds of exercise. As with martial arts, Nia has a colored belt system for progression. However, this system is optional, and many users opt to avoid it out of preference for a more easy-going use of Nia in their lifestyle to create an atmosphere of health without any competition. Still, for those who need a goal to reach for, the ranks are there as metaphorical dangling carrots. Due to its stress on low-impact qualities, Nia is a suitable activity for almost any age group and type of person. It can often be used when injuries or other disabilities would prevent more high-intensity workouts from being enjoyed. Nia also has a somewhat yoga-like atmosphere, with teachings that focus on the flow and connections between mental discipline, emotion, sensory input, and the raw capabilities of the body. Thus, it can serve as a tool for easing psychological distress as well as a tool for improving one’s physical traits. For Nia, internal decisions and direction is more important than outer instruction. Moves are intended to mesh with the sensory-based environment, which encourages but does not demand specific actions of the participants. For many people, the ability to exercise according to one’s personal wants and needs, rather than being stuck to a rote set of directions or a manual, can prove very liberating. This has caused many Nia practitioners to gain an enthusiasm for the exercise that is seldom seen in rougher ‘no pain no gain’ style workouts. While not for everyone, as its more laidback, relaxed style may frustrate some, Nia has been proven to support and improve many areas of bodily health besides its particular support of cardio. If you’re tired of sweating it out to the point of exhaustion, angered at what your body fails to achieve or maybe just upset that other people are better than you, then maybe something low-key like Nia will help you get back on track and refocus on enjoyment of personal health.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 14:51:11 +0000
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