Cheerleading may not be officially recognized as a sport—yet—but this spirited workout is definitely tough enough to kick your butt
Anyone who’s seen Bring It On (so, basically any woman over
the age of 25) is well acquainted with the argument for why cheerleading
should be considered a sport in its own right—not just a companion to
other sports. But even though the movie came out 13 years ago, the
American Medical Association’s (AMA) House of Delegates just considered
whether cheerleading should be classified as an official sport at its
annual meeting last week.
Ultimately, the AMA voted to hold off on making a final decision
until a formal report on cheerleading is prepared, which could take a
couple of years. If cheerleading is recognized as a sport by the AMA, it
could lead to regulations for coach training and standardized safety
requirements.
While standing on the sideline and waving pom poms might not qualify
as vigorous physical activity, competitive cheerleaders get a full-body
workout by preparing routines for judged competitions that require
flexibility, balance, stamina, coordination, core strength, and
cardiovascular endurance, says Lauren Boggi Goldenberg, a former
University of South Carolina cheerleader and founder of the Lithe
Method, a cardio-cheer-sculpting fitness studio with locations in New
York and Pennsylvania. What’s more, cheerleading movements are dynamic,
explosive, and sharp—and because cheerleaders often support each other’s
body weight, competitive cheerleading counts as cardio and
strength-training exercise, says Goldenberg.
The good news: You don’t need to join a squad or even buy a pair of
pom poms to try the moves that make cheerleading such a butt-busting
workout. Goldenberg suggests doing these exercises from Lithe Method if
you want a taste of what a cheer-inspired workout is all about:
Toe touch abs
Lie on your back with your core engaged, arms at your side. Inhale, and
draw your knees into your chest as you press a small exercise ball to
your shins. Exhale, and roll up, balancing on your sit bones as you
bring your upper body off the ground. While you press the ball into your
right shin with your right hand, extend your left arm upward to form
one side of a high V. Then extend and open both legs into an elevated V
about 45-degrees off the ground, extending your right arm as well to
hold the ball in place. Roll back down to the starting position, roll
the ball to the left shin, and repeat on the other side. Do 10
repetitions on each side.
Liberty raises in T
Begin standing on your left leg with your right leg bent at a 90-degree
angle and your knee lifted to waist height. Engage your quads and
glutes, and suck your belly button in toward your spine to activate your
core. Raise your arms straight out to the sides and inhale as you lift
your chest and pull your shoulders down and away from your ears. Keeping
your right leg in the air, exhale and lift your left heel off the
ground. Lower your heel and repeat 15 to 30 times. Then lower your right
leg to the floor, and repeat on the other side.
Cheer preps with high V, low V
Begin standing with your feet together. Holding one- to three-pound
weights in each hand, extend your arms to the side with your triceps
engaged. Keeping your arms stiff, breath in and bend your knees, sitting
back slightly as if you’re preparing to hop (not sit down). Then, pull
up through your knees and squeeze your glutes and core as you stand up
straight, balancing on the balls of your feet as you bring both a few
inches off the ground. As you rise up, extend your arms above your head
and slightly forward so they form a V, with your arms just in front of
your ears. Then gently lower your heels to the ground as you
simultaneously drop your arms down to form a low V, bend your knees, and
sit back again. Repeat the entire movement quickly and continuously for
30 reps.
Double jump squats (2:11)
Begin standing with your feet together. Hold two one- to
three-pound hand weights up by your armpits with your elbows pointing
down and pressed against your sides, palms facing each other. Come up
off your heels and hop up twice, landing each time on the balls of your
feet. On the third hop, land with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Keeping your back straight, sit back into a squat as you drop your arms
and bring the weights down along the outside of your ankles. Hop your
feet together as you stand and bring the weights back up to the starting
position. Continue the hop-hop-squat sequence without pausing for 30
reps.
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