Nia is the most advanced form of fusion fitness, blending martial arts, healing arts, dance arts and self-healing to create a high-powered, synergistic workout that will not only keep you in fantastic shape, but will also help you to rediscover the joy of movement and being at home in your body. Rich in diversity in both music and movement, Nia addresses the whole person through integration, play and sensory awareness. Nia uses the pleasure principle to seek comfort and ease in order to move, strengthen and heal the body in a natural, organic way. It is a workout that is fun, yet efficient, providing cardiovascular conditioning while inducing the feel-good sensations of dance. Nia is for anybody who needs to move.


How it all began
Nia was born out of the aerobics craze of the 80's. In the USA in 1983, Debbie and Carlos Rosas took off their shoes and eliminated the repetitive jogging up and down that embodied traditional aerobic exercise, and created barefoot "fusion fitness". In 1995, Nia was offered to people with special needs, such as autistic people and prisoners. It is now used successfully with cancer patients, mental patients as well as in schools, colleges, universities, and rehabilitation centres. Nia is offered in unique settings, and is a model for integrating fitness, healing and personal growth into community services and businesses.

Purpose of Nia
The purpose of Nia is to contribute to making a happier, healthier, fitter, more wholesome society. It is also called "transformational movement" and "moving meditation". The craft and technique is scientifically developed to help people move in the way that their bodies were designed to move. By doing Nia, people learn to hold themselves better and in turn, this helps them to feel better about who they are.

On a physical level, Nia is designed to increase strength, flexibility, agility and grace. It can be used to compliment any other sport or fitness programme.

While Nia is great for people with no fitness background, it is also great for people with high levels of fitness. Adaptable at every moment, Nia gives everyone the opportunity to challenge their coordination, grace, muscle endurance and flexibility. Runners benefit by the added flexibility, leg strength and agility. Racquet sports lovers enjoy the groundedness of Nia motions that give them an edge by improving their speed, timing and agility. Nia firms and trims abdominal muscles without doing "searing" sit-ups. It defines and strengthens muscles, without the use of external weights. Nia increases flexibility without conventional stretching. It increases lung capacity without "killer" aerobics. For a cardiovascular workout, Nia delivers all the conditioning without the stress to the musculoskeletal system, and provides balanced body work that is versatile, fun, energetic, expressive and creative. Nia changes your body posture and teaches you how to move efficiently and safely. It gently opens your joints and integrates body-mind awareness and wisdom. (The Nia Technique - Broadway Books 2005)

With Nia you trim, tone and define more of you, with less effort, because the focus is on pleasure and potential, rather than pain and competition. Nia is all about the joy of movement and having fun! Anyone can do Nia!
 

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