Neuromuscular Integrative Action, or Nia (pronounced “Nee Ah”) has been described by many as a "joyful workout" and its one of the latest trends in the mind-body fitness fusion.  Nia is a blend of the dance arts (Modern, Duncan, and Jazz), the martial arts (Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, and Tai Chi), and the healing arts (Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, and Yoga).

While it's catching on worldwide, the workout actually dates back to the height of the aerobics boom in 1983 when Nia co-founders Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas started questioning what effect all that jumping up and down was having on everyone’s bodies and found Aerobics to be not only limiting but myopic. The stress of high impact workouts, like aerobics, tended to cut out a large portion of the population who needed to be moving.

Preliminary studies about Nia's effects on health are positive. Exercise physiologists and doctors praise the Nia's workout for getting more people into some kind of fitness regimen. Too many Americans are still not exercising so anything which inspires people to move will be beneficial to their health. Nia is the answer to chronic couch-potatoism.

On a physical level, there's no doubt that this low impact workout improves strength and flexibility. There are also cardiovascular benefits to the system depending upon how much one’s heart rate gets accelerated. As well boosting the heart rate, medical benefits include enhancement of coordination, and improvements in breathing which also tends to improve circulation.

One of the biggest benefits of Nia is getting people back into their bodies and reconnected to sensation. This is the healing component of Nia--using the body the way it was meant to be used. Nia is a natural stress-reliever. The release of stress and pent-up emotions is healing in itself. The more connected one’s body is to feelings, the more power, strength and grace one has, and the more stress one will be able to release.

Nia is grounding. People are moving their joints in the ways that joints like to be moved. People are moving their bodies in ways bodies are designed to move. Body awareness is increased through body movement. Many diseases occur because people don't notice early on that something is out of balance. Exercise physiologists believe Nia can help people detect earlier when something may be wrong with their health.

The flexibility of the workout and its adaptability to one's fitness level is another real plus. There's genius in its simplicity. Classes, which typically last an hour, are designed for all ages and fitness levels. Nia is done barefoot to uplifting music and gives cardiovascular and whole-body conditioning.   Nia teaches you how to physically interpret and direct your movements; to allow your body to be your guide.

To learn more about Nia, visit www.nianow.com.