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ShareBangalore: Striptease. Bump and grind and swing that hip around. And swirl and pivot on the heel as clothes are wriggled off. If you thought only Demi Moore can do all this and appear sensuous while at it, you are grossly mistaken. The latest and the hottest ever workout for women promises to bring out the seductive you while burning over 400 calories in over half an hour.
"This low-impact aerobic workout with actual strip club moves will boost your self esteem and spice up your love life while burning calories," says Wanitha Ashok, the first to bring cardio striptease to the city. And she assures that you need not be anything like Demi Moore to practise this workout. "This is not restricted to youngsters alone. Shape, size, age or fitness level doesn't really matter. Anyone can do this," she says. Also, if stripping on the gym floor is not your idea of fun, clothes can stay. Ashok will merely teach you to mimic those stripper moves that would send your pulse racing and also the onlookers'.
Though meant specifically for women, ironically, it was a man who developed the cardio striptease technique -- Jeff Costna. He developed a series of circular movements that engage the whole body, putting emphasis on the core and gluteus areas. And it soon became very popular as many celebrities like Carmen Electra, Kirsten Dunst and Jennifer Love Hewitt endorsed it.
Ashok trained for cardio striptease from the United States last year, and enjoyed it so much that she incorporated a 20-minute stretch of it in her five-day regular aerobic lessons. The moves are designed for a complete body workout, though much emphasis is given to the core muscles. "This workout mixes flexibility, coordination and cardiovascular exercise. You will be strengthening your abs, legs, gluteus and loosen your lower back," Ashok says. The music used for the workout adds an essential strip club feel to the routine.
Ashok's cardio striptease session starts with a warm-up of stretching and breathing exercises. It proceeds to 5-7 minutes of stand-up abdominal routine, meant to give you a tighter and flatter midsection. The cardio strip moves come next. Ashok tells her clients to contract their core muscles while practising the gyrations. This, she says, helps get the heart rate up.
Her clients prefer to mimic the moves rather than actually take off their clothes. She has had a few bold ones who shed a jacket or more, she says. They usually just pretend to wriggle out of the t-shirt and twirl it over the head and toss it away. Unlike other punishing workout routines, Ashok's clients seem to be all full of smiles while sweating profusely. "I had enrolled for the aerobic lessons eight months ago. And lately, when Ashok added the cardio striptease routine, the workout became simply too much fun," says Santhoshi Rajesh.
Despite being on the heavier side, the ease and grace with which she moves is impressive. All the moves -- the sweeping arms, flowing legs, the twists and the turns -- are perfected with a smile, which everybody else seemed to share with her. That alone is reason enough to lure any lazy being into this routine, guaranteed to unleash the siren in every one of you.
"Once you overcome the initial mental hurdle, you can start your own striptease routine at home. Stand in front of your dressing mirror, play on some slow music and experiment with some basic moves or the jhatkas and matkas of desi film dances," says 42-year-old Ashok, who loves to flaunt her real age as she looks 20 years younger.
