Soul Aerobics

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'Diversity is the best thing about Nia because it keeps people interested, and it utilizes the whole body,' says James Garrick, director of the Center for Sports Medicine at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco. Unlike strength training on machines, for instance, 'it uses muscles the way they're supposed to be used, in combination.' Maureen Small, a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital, who teaches Nia to seniors over 70, is amazed by their increased mobility, balance, strength, and agility. 'It works so many aspects of the nervous system,' she says, 'considering all the elements that most exercise physiologists say you need in a workout.'

Nia is not for everyone. There is a giggle factor in some of the unrestrained movements a newcomer might witness, like shimmying your upper body or shouting 'yes!' as you thrust your hands in the air. In other words, you have to be willing to throw inhibition to the wind. Nia is a good option for 'someone open to that kind of activity who won't be intimidated by it,' says Richard Cotton, a California physiologist and a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise. While it's not quite as aerobically stimulating as some forms of exercise, he believes that a mind-body activity like Nia is valuable because it combines emotional, mental, and physical benefits.

Many Nia enthusiasts say the practice has changed their lives, sometimes profoundly. It helped Ann Christiansen deal with her divorce, Beth O'Neall reconcile with her father, and Jan Jarboe Russell get through her writer's block. And if nothing else, people say it's taught them the 'joy of movement,' the first defining principle of Nia.

Back in that studio in Minneapolis, there's certainly joy in the air. The women are now dancing with scarves. Gauzy strips of color swish behind arching backs, over bobbing heads. When the music changes, the women set down their scarves -- except for one with salt-and-pepper hair and an infectious smile. Without batting an eye, she wraps her yellow scarf around her waist in a sassy bow and continues to dance.

To find Nia near you, go to nia-nia.com, which will direct you to classes worldwide. Classes typically cost around $15 and last for an hour.

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