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A look at the revolutionary new exercise program, Nia , with insight from instructor, Jennifer Hicks.

Personal fitness and good health is important to all of us, but how many of us really enjoy going to the gym (for the actual work out, not the eye candy we may happen to see...)? Staying in shape is hard work. I'm not sure about you, but I'm almost positive that the treadmill and stairmaster are conspiring to murder me. What if there was a low impact fitness program that spoke encouraging words, rather than yelled at you like a drill sergeant?

Alas, our prayers have been answered. Introducing NIA! Nia focuses on health through movement, general well-being, and inspiring creativity. It helps develop strength, flexibility, agility, mobility, and stability through low impact fitness and creating a genuine connection through the body, mind, emotion and spirit.

Sound absurd? That's what Jennifer Hicks first thought when she was introduced to the program.  She couldn't understand how a program that used a softer technique could be as fulfilling as a hard workout.

"Back then, I was quite serious about running, weight lifting, dragon boating and swimming, When I took my first Nia class, I had a hard time understanding the idea of moving to find pleasure and ease. I was accustomed to working out, and working out hard." Hicks, though skeptical at first, has since become a certified Nia instructor.

Becoming involved in Nia can be a life altering experience, and it was for Hicks. At the age of 30 she was battling with anorexia. She had a hard time limiting how much she was exercising, eventually experiencing cardiac problems, liver dysfunction, and osteoporosis among other issues. She ended up in a very serious danger zone and was asked to take a medical leave from her job as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Coupled with anorexia, Hicks also began burning herself, writing hate messages on her body and stealing from grocery stores. It was then that she enrolled in a Nia teacher training program as a way to get more exercise.

"As I prepared to begin teaching, I began to regain sensation in my body. Previously, I had used exercise to numb myself on so many levels. Nia changed that. I was forced to start to feel myself. And slowly, ever so slowly, I began eating more and gaining the weight I needed to." Hicks' involvement with Nia has changed her life drastically. She now understands the idea of taking care of her body and that she must make room for other aspects of a healthy and satisfied life.

It would seem that Nia is just the program for people like you and me who are at wit's end when it comes to battling the stairmaster. Not only is it a fitness practice, it is also a frame of mind. You would become a part of the Nia community, filled with people who understand how important the connection between the mind, body, emotion and spirit actually is.

www.jennhicks.ca/Nia 

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