NIA: Non Impact Aerobics that Makes a Big Impression

When the Sassy Girls asked me if I wanted to review Nia, I was not quite sure what they meant. A fitness technique that I had not only NEVER tried, but had never even HEARD about. After swallowing a humility pill and admitting that I am not the all-knowing fitness Oracle (so much for the 2 hours I spent last weekend learning about the origins of tow-in surfing!), I signed up for a session of Nia. Tracey Fenner, a trained dancer and 5 year student of Nia, is the first instructor to bring the technique to Hong Kong since the method was developed 30 years ago.

Having no idea what to expect, I went to Tracey’s website. I learned Nia’s stands for “Non Impact Aerobics” and came after its founders realized they could not do the grapevine forever. I had “gone with the burn” with Jane Fonda in high school, wearing leg warmers against a wall of “It’s Raining Men” blasting from the sound system. All of this had been HIGH IMPACT, trusty impact-protecting shiny white Reeboks high-tops. A non-impact and aerobics just did not go together in my mind, but I was curious about a class that promised me I would be dancing into my golden years (Jane Fonda looks darn good these days).

Bare-footed and clueless I filed into the classroom with my fellow classmates, hoping to work up a bit of a sweat. WELCOME Nia! Meeting Tracey and “Nia” was like a blast of dry Arizona sunshine to a steamy Hong Kong day. Tracey was energetic and my classmates were too. We ranged in ages but Nia was accessible to all of us. Sweat we did, but Nia delivered more. The experience moved beyond dance into a place where I felt comfortable letting out my best 3am dance moves only the sun was still shining! Tracey encouraged us to leave the day’s frustrations behind and to focus on our dreams. Not something you usually hear in an “exercise” class, but her immersion in the moves and music was contagious. Without even really thinking about it I was shouting and throwing my cares out of a universal window. Tracey’s website had promised a body/mind/soul experience. As the class came to an end, I felt almost like I did as a child bouncing on a trampoline at a birthday party on a sunny summer day. Light in body, carefree in mind and smiling with my soul.

Tracey brings Nia to Hong Kong 7 times a week in different venues around Hong Kong Island. You can learn more about her, Nia and the class schedule at www.niahongkong.com.