Finding a way to keep the pounds off over the winter months can often be a struggle, especially if you are not a fan of the gym. However, by making exercise fun, you are more likely to stick to it. Marie Madden reports on her latest craze: belly dancing.

If like me you are more gym funny than gym bunny and find it difficult to get excited about exercise, you are probably always on the lookout for something that is a fun way to keep fit. So when an invitation to attend a belly dancing class arrived on my desk last week, I jumped at the chance.

Belly dancing can burn off 300 calories in an hour and, combined with a healthy diet, can form part of a sound weight loss programme. The movements of this dance form utilise muscle groups in the abdomen, pelvis, trunk, spine and neck, working with the body instead of against it. Unlike ballet, or other dance forms that work against rather than with the body's physical inclinations, belly dancing is based on movements that come naturally to the female form. Over an extended period, these movements can tone muscles and improve posture, as well as a number of other health benefits.

While I was initially excited about the class, when I arrived at Arus na Gael I was quite apprehensive, as I didn't really know what to expect. A group of about 15 women were gathered in the hall, some dressed up in embellished clothing but most in tracksuits and casual gear. In the corner was our instructor Lisa Collins, who warmly welcomed everyone and started showing us different warm up techniques. Over the next hour, I learnt how to shimmy around the room as we were encouraged to shake all our wobbly bits to an oriental soundtrack. While some techniques were quite easy to pick up, others proved a little more tricky, as I discovered how uncoordinated I was. The atmosphere of the class was very laid back, with everybody laughing as they attempted the moves.

The structure of the class was fairly simple. We began with a warm up, then Lisa broke down some of the core movements and we all gave them a go. After some practise, we did the routine to music before cooling down at the end. While it was great fun, I found the class to be a quite low intensity and would have preferred something a little tougher. But for anyone looking for a gentle, low impact workout to tone up and have some fun, belly dancing could be the answer.

However, Lisa encourages her students to build their confidence and lose their inhibitions through dance rather than focus on weight loss.

"Although it does help with weight loss and toning, I try to promote to my students the importance of getting rid of inhibitions rather than loosing weight to look better in the mirror. I feel we live in a society that is obsessed by thinness rather than feeling comfortable with your own body.

Belly dancing has given me the confidence to feel good with my body shape and I have taught and performed through the years with my body size changing from a size 12 to an 18 and back to a 14.

"People join the gym and take up fitness training for endurance strength and flexibility but often drop off very quickly as they see the gym as a chore. These benefits can also be improved with belly dance in a fun, friendly environment."

Lisa runs belly dancing classes every Tuesday in Knocknacarra, Wednesday on Dominick Street and Thursday in Newcastle. For more information, check out www.galwaybellydance.com.

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