Dance + martial arts + yoga = Nia
Reporter: Elizabeth Dannheim
Last Update: 11/21 6:15 pm
Are you tired of going to the gym and you’re looking for a new workout?
How about one that combines dance, martial arts, and yoga?
It’s called Nia and it really gets your body moving. JoyMoves in West Lake Hills offers Nia classes and Austin women are flocking there to take part.
Shoshana Goldstein is one of the instructors and owners of JoyMoves.
“We say that Nia is like chocolate. You have to taste it,” Goldstein says.
Meaning you have to experience Nia to really understand it.
Created more than 25 years ago, Nia is a whole-body movement class done barefoot to music. It’s a blend of different dance arts like jazz and modern dance, mix in some martial arts, and throw in some tai chi and yoga and you’ve got Nia.
Goldstein says, "We repeat the movements over and over so it’s easy.”
Joanne Adams has been taking Nia classes for six years now. “I just enjoy movement. I enjoy the great music. The comradery. This is a real community here,” she says.
A community of women who love to have fun while they’re working out and these women are really working out.
Dr. Deborah Kern is a Nia instructor and she’s studied the aerobic effect of Nia.
Dr. Kern says, “An average size woman burns about the same amount of calories as running three miles in a Nia class.”
It’s not just good for your body, says these women but it’s good for your emotional health too.
“It helps you get in touch with your feelings,” Adams says.
If you want to try Nia, you can buy a one-time pass at JoyMoves for $12 or you can purchase a one-month, unlimited pass for $50 a month.
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