MY FAVORITE WORKOUT: MONICA GOMEZ, belly dance: Lot of shaking going on

> Her background: Monica Gomez, 40, has been dancing since age 6. As a kid growing up in Michigan, she mostly studied the typical formats —- ballet, jazz and tap. But ever since she moved to Atlanta for college, she said, “I’ve always been in search of dance studios to continue dancing.” She’s dabbled in flamenco and hip-hop, but a lower back problem had her looking for something more low-impact.

> What she found: Last September, Gomez saw Daza Dance in Alpharetta and was intrigued. “I was just curious about Daza because I like watching that show ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ” she said. “So I stopped in there and picked up one of their brochures and read through what they offered.” Always up for a new dancing challenge, Gomez thought she’d try belly dancing. Plus, the timing worked out for this stay-at-home mom. “Since I have two children —- a kindergartner and a fourth-grader —- I wanted to find a place where I could work out and dance while they were in school,” she said.

> A typical class: Every Wednesday Gomez heads to Daza Dance for an hour of belly dancing. Her instructor, Anne Marie Edwards, takes them through a warm-up of neck rolls and arm stretches. Then they learn a dance routine. Gomez said the music is “sometimes a mixture of Egyptian or Indian or funky techno almost mixed in with it. But it’s all kind of exotic-sounding music that you don’t hear on the radio.” The dance routine involves lots of hip-shaking movements but also isolation work where “your upper body moves but your lower body doesn’t and vice versa,” explained Gomez. She said Edwards also makes it fun by teaching the class how to dance with scarves. “You walk into it, you twirl it around, she says there’s a skirt dance you can do. They have a coin scarf that wraps around the hips; that way you know if you’re doing the movement right if you hear the noise.”

> Belly dance attire: Contrary to what you might think, Gomez said showing your belly is not a requirement of belly dance class. In fact, she often wears sweat pants and a sweat shirt. Also, special shoes aren’t necessary. She dances barefoot.

> Why it works for her: “I’m not a member of a gym because I found that I just don’t go. If I pay for a dance class, I’ll make sure that I go,” said Gomez. “I like belly dancing because I have a good instructor and the music is fun.”

> The results: Gomez said she didn’t go into it to lose weight, but she did want to build up her core muscles. “I haven’t been doing it long enough to notice major results from it. I do notice that it’s helping the posture and the flattening of the stomach,” she said. Belly dancing is Gomez’s only form of exercise. “You probably have to do it more than once a week. You need to do it in combination with other forms of exercise,” she said.

> Who else can do it: It’s great for all ages, said Gomez, adding that she once brought her mother and grandmother to class (although her grandmother preferred to watch). She’s also seen teenagers have a blast doing it. And newcomers needn’t be afraid, said Gomez. “If you’re a beginner, she explains everything so well. I don’t know if it’s because she’s a mom or a good teacher. Because even though I have dance experience, it’s a completely different technique than what I’ve ever been taught.”

THE WORKOUT

Monica Gomez belly dances at

Daza Dance Ballroom Academy, 3005 Old Alabama Road, Suite 4000, Alpharetta. 678-910-9693. www.dazadanceatlanta.com.

Other local belly dance resources:

Nazeem Allayl Belly Dance Studio. 404-638-6530, www.atlantabellydance.com.

Majida Anwar, belly dance instructor. majidaanwar.com

LOVE AND FITNESS

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