"Grease" the movie was released in the American summer of 1978. A wildly successful adaptation of the 1971 musical, "Grease" had teenagers gyrating in high energy, somewhat subversive moves, usually involving the pelvis. Along with "Saturday Night Fever", disco dancing looked fabulous when demonstrated by people who knew what they were doing. The rest of us usually resembled demented zombies.
"Grease Is The Word" was one of the musical's very popular songs. The chorus went like this -
"Grease is the word (is the word...is the word...)
It's got groove, it's got meaning
Grease is the time, is the place, is the motion
Now, grease is the way we are feeling..."
I just sang the chorus. Loudly...Praise the universe that I wasn't heard.
Last Thursday, "Grease" ceased to be The Word. In a class of one, I was introduced to Nourishabley's new cardio/weights/limbering exercise session. Orchestrated by Janet Robertson, creator and guru of Nourishabley, SLAB (Stretch, Lift and Breathe) was a revelation.
Faster than Pilates and Stretching, Janet incorporated short bursts of interval training, resistance and step into SLAB. I was exhilarated. There was no floor work, which is excellent news for those of us who need a crane to rise from the mat. Plus, there is no pressure to keep up with a Hip Young Thing shouting from the front. Janet is certainly lean (naturally) and hip, but she is incredibly flexible and demonstrates the entire class. Music and dance were incorporated, along with the gentle reminder to move at my own pace. Which is another plus as I spent the entire step section looking at my feet and really concentrating. Janet moved at her own pace to give me the goal of becoming more confident in the moves.
I would encourage everybody I know to give SLAB a go. We have a small gym here in town, but there is no instructor there to write programmes or encourage the attendees. SLAB could easily be incorporated into a DIY gym workout, for those of us needing direction.
Along with the pool and Janet's Stretch class on a Wednesday, I am hooked. I finished my first SLAB session breathless, wobbly and sweaty, already looking forward to next Thursday. An added bonus for Janet is that I fell almost completely silent throughout the duration...
If Janet is in need of feedback, I do have a suggestion. I think she'd have more coming to SLAB if she renamed the class SHAG...(Stretching, Heaving And Gasping). As long as she didn't explain the acronym, she could potentially have a waiting list.
Vale Nourishabley! Vale Janet!
This is Janet (not scary at all)
These are Janet's legs (I told you she was flexible!)
This is not me...
Michael and I, with the long-suffering Shirley at Stretch class - late October 2018
The Monster Mash...Beverley style
After twelve months of Stretch, I CAN do this!
The key components of SLAB (or SHAG)
Inside Nourishabley...
Artwork by Janet's husband, Craig @ Nourishabley. Also at the East End Gallery.
No comments:
Post a Comment