Fitness Explorer

January 1999 - Tae-Bo hits the Triple Cities. Infomercials sweep the airwaves. Finally, the fitness wave of the West Coast hits home! Everyone from Oprah Winfrey to People Magazine is talking about it. Everyone wants to try it. I'm intrigued. Considering myself to be fit, I embark on my first Tae-Bo class.

1st Class - I'm clumsy and feel awkward, kicking and punching. I notice that others seem to be sharing a similar experience. I think about my training and the words neural adaptation echo in my head. Neurological adaptation is related to learning, coordination, and the ability to recruit prime movers (muscles). Simply put, new training usually takes three to four sessions for the body to become coordinated. With this in mind, I'm determined to try again.

4th Class - Success is coming! It's starting to get easier to throw punches and drive those kicks. Never before have I gotten this euphoric high from a work-out! And best of all, I'm sore in muscle groups that my traditional weight training program and running doesn't hit. This is a great total body work-out. And it's fun!

Billy Blanks, a seven-time World Karate Champion, created a kick-'em, jab-'em dance work-out called Tae-Bo that's bound to be the fitness rage of the next millenium. Blanks combined dance music with Tae Kwon Do moves. This evolved into Tae-Bo.

In 1989, Blanks opened his first Tae-Bo training center in Sherman Oaks, California. His clients immediatey started to see the dramatic benefits of Tae-Bo and the business took off. His client list quickly became a who's who of the entertainment and sports world.

Three things to remember before you start a Tae-Bo fitness work-out:

1. See your doctor if you are a person in a high risk group or suffer from any type of injuries.

2. Keep plenty of water handy to keep your body hydrated (you'll need it).

3. Don't get discouraged! It may take you a few sessions of Tae-Bo before you feel comfortable performing the moves (remember neural adaptation).

This work-out can benefit anyone at any level of fitness, male or female, young or old.

I guess Billy wasn't kidding when he said that Tae-Bo captures your spirit. I'm challenged and hooked!

Find a Tae-Bo class - but get there early!

Note : Kay Hess and her husband Bill, an East Coast Weight Lifting Champion, are well known in the area. She has held seminars and has had great success in training both men and women over the last 15 years. She is affiliated with ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) and certified with NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine).

* Macronutrient - an essential nutrient required by the body in a relatively large amounts.