Moms' Exercise Class-- Can you handle it??

So I haven't said much about our moms' exercise class, partly because I like to include pictures whenever possible, and since the ladies take off their hijabs and let loose in some spandex and t-shirts, picture-taking is strictly forbidden. And if not forbidden, then it would certainly be a violation of their privacy to post any photos of them on here.

BUT I want you all to have an idea as to how I spend two of my classes a week. Nachel (my fellow intern) and I, split our hour and a half time slot into two 45 minute periods, and I usually start off the class. Over the weeks, the moms and I have worked up to a set list that is 5 songs long, plus a one song run at the beginning and at times a cool down and stretch at the end. All of this before Nachel has them working out to Billy Blanks and his Tae Bo DVD! So far the class has been a great success and we've had a high retention rate. The mms report that they're losing weight, and I can tell that each week they become more comfortable with the routines and build up their strength. Soon I will add in a little salsa routine so that they learn a bit about Latin dance and have an opportunity to shake up our set list.

So, if you want to try a couple of the songs out, I am listing here the exercises for two of the most popular and most difficult ones. Good luck!

I'm Really Hot, Missy Elliott

This one has been particularly popular and is a workout for the quads and bum!

1. During the "hey ho!" part, just dance around a bit
2. When Missy says "I'm really, really hot. Every time my record drops, radio says I won't stop, cuz I'm killing it!" Put your hands on your hips and move them in a circular fashion.
3. For 8 counts, lunge to the right with the rear leg straight. Bob on each count.
4. For 8 counts, lunge to the left with the rear leg straight. Bob on each count.
5. For 8 counts, squat like you're about to sit in a chair. Bob on each count.
6. For 8 counts, hold the squat position.

If you've done it right, when you finish the squat position you should have made it back to the chorus, where you can pop up and dance a bit to shake off the tension in your legs from the squat. Repeat two more times to the next two rounds of the song. For the outro, hold the squat until the music ends.



Summer Workout Tape, Kanye West

This is our ab workout. It is pretty difficult so not for the faint of heart please!

1. 8 counts of side crunches to the left.
2. 8 counts of side crunches to the right.
3. 8 regular crunches.


Side Crunch

4. A slow sit up that takes 8 counts to rise to the top.
5. Slowly return the starting position of a situp, taking 8 counts to fall back.
6. Slow sit up rise for 4 counts.
7. Slow sit up descent for 4 counts.
8. With the hands under the tush for support, point the legs straight up in the air and hold for 8 counts.
9. Descend the legs midway and hold for 8 counts.
10. Descend the legs until they are about half a foot to a foot from the ground, hold for 8 counts.
11. With legs at the same height, spread them apart and hold for 8 counts.
12. Return legs to the middle at same height, hold for 8 counts.
13. Raise legs to mid level, hold for 8 counts.
14. Raise legs to starting position, hold for 8 counts.


Double Leg Raise

15. Repeat slow sit up for 8 counts, descend for 8 counts, up for 4 counts, descend for 4 counts.
16. Roll over into plank position. Hold for two counts of 8.
17. Move to side plank on your right side. Hold for two counts of 8.
18. Move to side plank on your left side. Hold for two counts of 8.


Front Plank


Side Plank

19. Roll back into crunch position. Do 8 counts of crunches with the legs extending straight out in front and resting on the floor.
20. Spread knees into butterfly position (while still laying on the floor). Do 8 counts of crunches.
21. Lift knees, do 8 counts of crunches.
22. Point feet straight up to the ceiling, try to touch your toes for 8 counts.
23. Repeat in reverse order (knees up, knees splayed, legs extended in front of you) with 8 counts for each.
24. Repeat entire set (knees splayed, knees up, feet extended towards ceiling, knees up, knees splayed, legs extended out on the ground) with 8 counts each.
25. Roll onto the stomach and stretch out the abs with "upward facing dog" position.


Upward Facing Dog

As you may be able to tell from the above two routines, this is a pretty intensive exercise class. With an additional three songs, which are focused more on cardio, we are on our way to a full body workout. Hey, maybe I'll make some DVDs and be the next Billy Blanks!

Except I'd probably end up more like this guy...

Five MILLION Dollars!

TYO has entered itself in a competition to win $5,000,000 (approximately 18.5 million shekl!) and all you need to do is VOTE!

If you have facebook, just hit the button below and vote for TYO to win a chunk of that change.  You have 20 votes, so give one of yours to us! It is free and totally painless.

Plus, I'll think you're pretty great.

POSTCARDS!

I am, like a lot of people I know that travel, very very bad at writing and sending postcards.  However, this time I have outside factors to blame... namely that there is no post in Nablus, and sending things from the West Bank in general is very difficult.  I have actually bought and written postcards to several people without being able to send them.  So if you receive a postcard with a timestamp from the US, just know that it was purchased and written in a foreign country, merely dropped in the mail in the US.

Nevertheless, I will definitely do my best to send them from Israel when next I get a chance to go there.

My Apologies!

I have not done a very good job of updating this blog.  And for the last three weeks of classes here, I will try to do better! I promise.  For now, check out the blog post that I wrote for TYO. 

Last weekend marked several important days here at TYO: Universal Children’s Day, our Open Day, and the passage of the midway mark for our fall internship program.

As I was surrounded by dozens of kids clamoring to have their faces painted as Spider-man, Batman, hearts, moons, stars, flowers, butterflies (a good Arabic lesson for me that day!), I found a moment to reflect on the past month and a half here in Nablus.

I have been trying to teach my students here at TYO as much as they teach me. Every day with them is a new learning experience, as a teacher, as a foreigner and as a person. I hope that I am doing my best, and that my students like me. They keep coming back, so hopefully that is a good sign.

I crafted a nine-week schedule for my drama class at the beginning of this semester, and it has absolutely flown out the window. Every lesson that I plan for them, assuming that it will take at least a week (two classes), has been consumed by them in just one class! Even when I think that my English explanation cannot be properly translated into Arabic and grasped by my students, they are always two steps ahead of me and ready to go. My goal is to challenge, entertain and inform them at least as much as they do so for me.

In the past few weeks my class has covered many of the basics of the mechanics of theater, including costumes, sets and scripts. For the sets, we painted a backdrop and made free standing trees, as well as cut out clouds, a moon and a sun to hang in the classroom. On costume day, the students used their creativity to design costumes representing characters (bee, tiger, police man, etc), and then performed in front of the class to see if their fellow students could guess their character. On script day, the students learned the basic format of scripts and turned a children’s story into a scene to perform for their classmates.

Considering how quickly my boys and girls are moving through my lesson plans, I hope that we will be able to put together everything we have learned to put on a production for the rest of TYO!