Want to know the most fun fitness class we’ve done in ages?
Running, spinning and swimming are all very well, but sometimes you just want to break out and dance! And at urban cheerleading you get to dance – and you get to do it with fricking POM POMS!
You may be cool, you may like Dolphins into the Future and other bands no else has heard of (we had to ask our mate that one). But come on, who didn’t secretly want to be a cheerleader in an American High School? Just us, oh ok.
What: Urban Cheerleading
When: Thursday 18.15, Gymbox Farringdon; Wednesday, 18.00 Gymbox Bank
Duration: 45 mins
Cost: Free to members
What Gymbox say – get cheerleader fit
‘Join the Gymbox Urban Cheerleading Team with hot routines to get you Cheerleader fit. Pom-Poms provided!’
What we say – give us an A, give us a C, give us an E
When you’re as uncoordinated as us, it’s pretty hard not to feel self-conscious in a dance class. Particularly when it’s one associated with mean girls and prom queens. Luckily, the other girls don’t look like they’re about to throw a slushy in our face and the instructor is no plastic.
The first thing she says, after we’ve chosen our pom poms (yay!) is, ‘No one’s allowed to be embarrassed in this class. Give it everything.’ And she’s right, leave your cool at the door, pretend you’re in Glee and you will have the best bloomin’ time ever. Think about what you’re doing and, well, you’ll probably stop.
Urban cheer starts with an aerobic warm-up, giving us time to adjust to the sight of our bingo wings flapping in the mirror every time we shake a pom pom. We then start to build up a routine one move at a time, and the best thing is no one cares if you can’t do it. It’s all about having fun and there are enough repetitions of moves that by the end everyone’s sort of got it. This being urban cheer though, it’s not all innocent high school moves, there’s some grinding, butt shaking and voguing thrown in there for good measure, all to a soundtrack of Beyonce’s Single Ladies. The whole thing is super-camp – we love it. Plus, did we mention, you get pom poms!
*Actual class not shown (sorry to disappoint but you don’t get to shake your pom poms with the cast of Glee).
