by Claire Whaley

Created on: April 05, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Exercise is a drag. You get sweaty. You smell. You have to change into ugly sweatpants with holes in them. There's nothing fun about it. Fortunately, exercise doesn't have to be a treadmill, a weight room, or a peppy aerobics video led by a bunch of 20 year-olds in spandex. It can actually be a room full of women ranging in size, shape, age, and life path, all moving together and feeling pretty darn sexy.

Belly dance is great exercise. It stretches, strengthens, and tones. But most importantly, it's exercise that doesn't feel like exercise. It feels like seduction. It feels like dance. It feels good. It's a low-impact workout that's great for everyone. There are classes available at new age stores across the country. A quick Google search of "belly dance class" and your hometown would probably bring up a few options. And if you did dare to sign up, you'd probably find that most of the women there are older and more curvy than you'd expect.

But then there's the fear factor. Who wants to invest money into classes if you end up hating it? Or what if you aren't as good as the rest of the class? What if classes don't fit into your schedule? Believe it or not, there are other options. Belly dance videos and DVDs are gaining popularity. And unlike the exercise videos of the Suzanne Sommers era, they're easy to follow, fun to learn, and they don't involve cheesy elevator music set to the unmistakable aerobic drum machine. Just for drill, why don't you open up a new browser window and search for belly dance videos on amazon.com. You'll see titles from dance to workout and every variation in between. I find that Veena and Neena's videos work out very well. The identical twin belly dancers seem to genuinely want to help you become your own living room goddess. And it works!

Who wants to exercise when you can roll and sway to exotic music instead? Thankfully, you can do both at the same time. Ten minutes of hip shimmying, and you'll forget you're exercising. Instead you'll be fluttering over to your significant other with a come-hither stare and stealing his heart (and pants).

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