WORKOUTS From Around the World

American Fitness, May, 2001

The latest in fitness trends can be found at the 92nd Street Y May Center for Health, Fitness & Sport in New York City. Here is a sample of what they offer:

Capoeira: a Brazilian art form that combines elements of dance, martial arts and gymnastics to create a highly aerobic, total-body workout that increases strength, agility and coordination. Established hundreds of years ago by African slaves on Brazil's plantations, Capoeira is a formidable martial art. "There is an element of trickery in Capoeira that comes from a time when slaves had to camouflage it as a dance," explains instructor Edna Lima. "The masters didn't realize the slaves were doing martial arts--that they were preparing to fight."

Middle Eastern Workout: an aerobic workout that combines elements of Turkish and Egyptian belly dancing that strengthens the hips, buttocks, thighs and abdominals. "This is a great workout for exercisers who want to build their self-confidence and express their sensuality," says Oreet Jehassi, who teaches the Middle Eastern workout.

Latin Low-Impact: a fun, high-intensity aerobic workout which is done to the beat of Latin sounds. Instructor Michael Hughes describes it as"a mixture of the sultry movements of salsa and the sexy movements of samba."

Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Chi: a slow-moving, meditative exercise designed for relaxation and self-defense. "Traditional western exercise works out the large muscle groups, but in Tai Chi Chuan we exercise the ligaments, joints and deep, small muscles that connect the joints. This is a very different way of using the body, so Tai Chi students must relearn the art of movement, says instructor Mark Sabin.

QiGong: a discipline using movement, breath and focus has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. It seeks to stimulate the chi (the body's essential life force) with the goal of strengthening and balancing the body's organs.

Kundalini Yoga: a vigorous form of yoga that focuses on breathing techniques.

Hatha/Iyengar Yoga: involves controlled breathing, prescribed postures and meditation.

For more information on these programs, contact Jennifer Dorr at (212) 415-5455 or Jdorr@92ndsty.org.