Day 75 ! Booiaka

LAST WEEK! LAST WEEK! Phew-ee, I can hardly believe it’s Day 74. I tried googling “74 days” to see what notable things take 74 days to happen...any gestation periods for weird animals, the scientifically proven time for some food, pill, diet to take effect, the number of days it takes to walk from London to somewhere perhaps but all I got was “74 days from today – what day is that”, “74 days since last period help? - Yahoo! Answers” and other equally pressing questions that people have asked google. The Internet is so wonderful but can also bring out the weird in people, it must be said.

It was in fact, back on Day24 Tai-Chi where I said I was going to try a Booiaka class (though I misspelt as Bookiaka, which, by the way, made it tricky to find when I had said I was going to try this class). And here we are 50 days later (Google results include “what happens to an apple in 50 days” and a blog on “50 Dates in 50 Days”), task completed, promise fulfilled.

I had no idea what Booiakawas about. Aquaterra’s trusty website sold it as “Fresh from LA! An intense cardio workout incorporating vibrant dance moves of Latin, Brazilian, Jamaican, Reggaeton and hip hop styles…” and true to it’s advert, it was indeed a fusion style dance cardio workout.

I was happy to see that the class was taught by the same Instructor Topaz from Day 32 Zumba Toning – I remembered that class as a fun-filled, friendly class and this Booiakawas much the same in the respect. We went through a few warm-up moves to good current tunes before Instructor Topaz moved onto the routine. The routine itself was made up from relatively simple steps, taught at a good, slow pace which meant that everyone in the (wide age-ranging) class could get comfortable with the moves. A benefit of this routine being easy to follow was that Instructor Topaz didn’t have to spend too long breaking down each move so the class could spend more time running through the routine, thereby increasing the cardio burn.

It was a light-hearted routine but it is Instructor Topaz’ energy that makes the class fun. Constantly smiling throughout, she kept us smiling and the time passed quickly. It’s very much more a dance cardio class and not a straightforward dance class – if you’re looking for a dance class that focuses more on fun and energy than strict technique and style, this one’s for you!

The Need To Know:

- Where: Islington Tennis Centre (Part of Aquaterra)

- Nearest Station: Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground (10mins)

- When: Tuesdays 20.30

- How Much: Drop-in around £7.50 for single class

  

The Want to Know:

- Who’s it For: For those who fancy a light-hearted dance cardio class

- Sweat Scale: 7/10.

- Strength / Cardio / Flexi / Tone: Toning and some cardio

- Complexity: 5/10.

- Fun Factor: 7/10.

- Changing Facilities: Showers, toilets, changing rooms

- Instructor Inspiration: 7/10. Still happy cheery!

The Stats:

- Total Time: 45mins

- Calories Burnt: 167. Works out at 3.7 calories-burnt-per-minute

- Average Heart Rate: 98

- Max Heart Rate: 140