A man walked into the Nia class at the Everett Family YMCA in early November and hesitated, apparently realizing a big chunk of the workout was built around dance.
He told the instructor, Rachael Millikan, he had two left feet.
“It’s OK,” she recalled saying. “You do what you need to do.”
Such is the way with Nia, a more laid-back style of group exercise.
Nia borrows moves from martial arts, modern dance and healing arts such as yoga. While the class bears similarities to other aerobic courses, Nia has a more relaxed approach, encouraging people to modify routines to suit their own pace.
The Everett course, meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, is free for YMCA members or included with the purchase of a $15 day pass. The first course attracted 18 people — 16 women and two men.
The blend of yoga, dance and martial arts may seem trendy, but supporters note Nia was created decades ago.
In 1983, California residents Debbie and Carlos Rosas noticed that some fitness instructors were burning out, in part because of the no-pain, no-gain philosophy. The couple, which has since divorced but remain business partners, decided to create a low-impact class suited for any age.
“Basically, Nia was born out of a need to create a sustainable form of exercise,” said Shannon Day, a spokeswoman for Oregon-based Nia Technique Inc., the company that trains and licenses Nia instructors.
Today, Nia, originally an acronym for nonimpact aerobics or neuromuscular integrative action, is taught in more than 30 countries and has more than 1,500 licensed instructors, according to the company.
The YMCA launched its Nia course on Nov. 3 in an effort to emphasize “total health,” YMCA wellness coordinator Gael Thomson said.
“We’re trying to get away from just the word ‘fitness,’ and realizing that to become physically fit, your brain and your social activities and your spiritual well being have to be completely involved,” Thomson said.
As course instructor, Millikan said she was drawn to Nia because of its loose framework.
“In some ways it can be difficult to describe, because for everyone there’s a different experience,” she said, noting some people work up a sweat while others might finish the class with a good cry.
Meta LoGerfo, 41, had the latter experience. She said during the class, she was on the verge of cathartic tears. Nia helped her connect with some personal matters in a way she had trouble verbalizing.
“Afterward I felt like I was just breathing in really deeply, which felt good, and I felt, like, more fully dimensional,” LoGerfo said.
Not everyone who takes the class needs a box of Kleenex, of course. Maddy Metzger-Utt, 42, simply enjoyed moving to the beat of the music, which can include pop-tinged world music such as Thievery Corporation.
A Marysville resident, Metzger-Utt said the class wasn’t exhausting, but gave her a solid workout, thanks in part to the strength training martial arts portion. She’s been telling friends to join.
“I thought it was great,” she said. “It was fun and lively and a good workout.”
And as for that left-footed gentlemen, well, he left before the first class ended. Keeping with form, Millikan took no offense.
“I can understand,” she said.
Reporter Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or e-mail arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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