The HOT HULA fitness® Matua workout provides exhilarating exercise using Polynesian dance moves. Matua is a Māori word meaning elder or parent, so this fitness routine is geared to seniors, but can also be enjoyed by all age groups and fitness levels. Anyone who enjoys dancing and keeping fit can benefit from this exercise with a Polynesian flair.
HOT HULA fitness® Matua is a low-impact, yet heart-pumping cardio workout that targets larger muscle groups to increase strength and definition of your core (abs), glutes, quads and arms. This action-packed dance provides a 60-minute, total body workout.
Inspired by the dances of the Pacific Islands, HOT HULA fitness® movements are set to the sounds of traditional Polynesian drumbeats fused with funky Reggae music. The instructor breaks down each choreographed siva (dance) into easy sections. The founder, Anna Rita Sloss, believed in helping her ‘aiga (family) as she searched for a program that would help move her people toward an active lifestyle.
“Our people can relate to drumbeats. When they hear it, they start moving and swaying their hips — enticed to get off their bums and move!” she says. Numerous studies show how dancing benefits benefits mind and body by getting your heart pumping and your blood flowing — a plus for joints, heart and brain. Dancing helps participants lose weight and manage stress. It also instills grace and exercises memory to help curb development of dementia.
Studies also show that dancing lifts the spirit, which is one of the many reasons I love teaching this format.
The exercise pace of HOT HULA fitness® Matua is slower and each move is specially modified for the matua. However, students may opt to execute either the full movements or the modified version. The health benefits are the same.
I encourage my HOT HULA fitness® Matua class to “move at your own pace and listen to your body. Keep moving your feet and make those big circles with your hips.”
HAWAII BALLROOM DANCE ASSOCIATION
98-019 Kamehameha Highway, Ste. 211A, Aiea, HI 96701
808-753-8673
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