New ideas in physical fitness

Traditional fitness training and warm-up exercises emphasise certain areas of the body or movements – for example squats or core work. Why is this so important?

Squats are a type of exercise that involve many different muscle groups, from those in the back to the lower limbs. Squats use the body’s largest muscles (the quadriceps and gluteus maximus) and work to strengthen the entire body. The muscle groups in your core (i.e. abdominal, waist area, lower back and back) wrap and stabilize the spine, keeping the body grounded, whilst enhancing balance and flexibility. Therefore, focusing on these two groups can effectively strengthen the majority of muscles in the body.

In fact, physical fitness doesn’t necessarily need to target specific groups of muscles. Street dance has its roots in African-American culture, and is one good way of staying in shape. Street dance is a type of aerobic exercise, and usually performed continuously for 3-5 minutes without stopping. It can include dance moves like handstands, jumping and spinning; so in addition to burning calories, it works your muscles and builds endurance, while also requiring a great deal of coordination. Not only can you strengthen your muscles, but you’ll see your fitness and flexibility improve as well. With Street Dance, you can enjoy the music and the freestyle dance moves, while at the same time getting a full-body workout with all the explosive movements.

Mary Tsui, the District Assistant of the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong - Jockey Club "Mapperthon Community Action" Project, believes that because street dancing uses all of the muscles in your body, it’s especially important to stretch them thoroughly beforehand, even more so than for other sports. Let’s watch as she demonstrates a few exercises to stretch the waist and legs, so that everyone can stretch, get loose, and enjoy dancing!