Health & Talk
__________________________________ Words by Dr. Feel Good

STRIPPERS Aerobics

1. Stripper Aerobics Who knew stripping could be so sweat inducing -- for the person taking it all off? Members of the Crunch gym chain in Miami have been hustling to get into the hottest new class, Cardio-Striptease, a low-impact aerobic workout choreographed with actual strip-club moves. In addition to providing an excuse to wear boas and hobnob with real-life pole dancers, these classes provide a great workout. Calories burned: 400 to 500 per hour for a 135-pound woman.

Try this at home: Not a Crunch member? The gym has plans to release an instructional home video. Or you can try the do-it-yourself approach. According to Donna Cyrus, national group fitness director for Crunch, this workout involves lots of squats, lunges and kicks which tone all the major muscle groups. Put on some jamming tunes and pretend your living room is Club Kinky!

2. International dance Be an international woman of mystery! Many gyms and dance studios are offering classes in movement from different regions of the world, including African and Indian dance. One of the most popular global offerings is Capoeira, a Brazilian practice that combines martial arts and dance. Slaves developed this high-impact, high-kick choreographed movement style to entertain themselves when they were barred from staging fights. Calories burned: 500 per hour for a 135-pound woman

Feel like you're not coordinated enough for Capoeira? Don't worry, says Cyrus: The practice actually has a steep learning curve.
Try this at home: For books on African dance, check out Djoniba.com. Head to CapoeiraArts.com for books and videos on Capoeira.

3. Yoga In the past few years, yoga has experienced a surge in popularity. Now, virtually every gym offers classes and instructional tapes and books are plentiful. One cutting-edge practice is bikram yoga, also known as hot yoga. Based on the yogic principle that transformation cannot happen without heat, this practice is conducted in a room with a temperature upward of 90 degrees F. Students are led through flowing series of poses -- and sweat, sweat, sweat! Calories burned: 600 per hour for a 135-pound woman

Try this at home: If you want to pursue yoga in the comfort of your own home, LaShawn Dale, group
fitness manager at the Equinox gym in New York City, recommends taking a few introductory classes to get some hands-on coaching on correct form and
breathing. Bikram yoga should always be practiced with an instructor -- in other words, kids, don't try this at home!