Students who walk into my bellydance classes thinking "This will be easy - we'll just be shaking our hips around…" get quite a shock when I start teaching a new step, and it takes every bit of their concentration and strength to keep up. Attempting to isolate muscles they didn't know they had, or realizing in the middle of class that they've never sweated this much -not even in their cardio-kickboxing workout - makes them revisit their perception of bellydance as a "soft" exercise. Then there's the next day when they wake up aching all over and unable to move!

The ancient art of Raks Sharqi (or "bellydance", as we call it here in the West) can complement your training perfectly, by giving you the complete cardio and strength combination. How does bellydance offer this total package of cardio and full-body strength, with the added benefit of learning a beautiful, sensual, ancient Middle Eastern art form? Read on…

My quads are totally pumped: not from squats and lunges… but mainly because of bellydance! It surprises many people to learn that quads are one of the most important muscles for bellydance. A bellydancer's hips are controlled by moving the knees, and this has a dramatic impact on the quads. Bellydance also involves lots of lowering the body towards the ground and raising back up while undulating or shimmying. This is killer for all thigh muscles. My students beg for mercy when we start this action!

OK, no surprise here - bellydance works abs to the max! We're talking total upper, lower, and oblique conditioning. One of the staples of bellydance is the undulation, in which each single section of the abdominal muscles is isolated in turn, rolling through them all, from the top of the upper abs, right down to the pelvic floor. These we do large, small, painfully slowly, then with the speed and pop of electricity. Add stomach accents and flutters, plus bodywaves, and you're in for the ab workout of a lifetime.

As bellydance is primarily performed up on the balls of the feet, calves and ankles are guaranteed a great workout. And as a side benefit, balance and one's sense of centre are enhanced through the practice of executing steps in this elevated position.

Arms are constantly up and moving around. In addition, many movements like "snake arms" and shoulder rolls are very arm and shoulder-strength intensive. Do I ever hear the moans and groans when I drill these in class!

As you have probably realized from these brief descriptions, often two separate groups of muscles are being worked at the same time. An example: walking undulations work the abs with undulations, while being up on the balls of the feet also works the calves and ankles… hey, there'll probably even be some strenuous arms in there too!

Of course, not all bellydance instructors teach at the high intensity level I do. Some do, some don't… track down the one who does! Attending a sample class will probably tell you what you want to know. And you may find that bellydance is a good 'fit' on your workout agenda.