Students get down and dirty at the RAC

By Natalie Russell

A new class at Ryerson’s gym helps students build a sweat while flirting at the same time.

A class that promotes seductive dancing is the new way to get in shape at Ryerson.

Flirty Fitness is a new program offered at the RAC where students work out while practicing dance routines.

All across Toronto, sexy exercising has surfaced from strip aerobics to sexy stretching.

In 2000, the Hollywood hit Coyote Ugly stormed box offices. The film focuses on a women-run New York City bar that teased its male patrons with sexy dancing.

Then, Carmen Elektra fuelled the rage in 2003 when she released an aerobic striptease video. It offered women the chance to erotically exercise in the comfort of their own home.

But is learning the moves to create a sassy dance routine a little bit too promiscuous for Ryerson?

“Flirty dancing is not stripping. It’s a dance class. There’s no nudity,” said Renee Delaire, a customer service representative at the RAC.

The class is offered on a semester basis and costs $60 for eight classes. It focuses on core strengthening and flexibility.

“It’s not the cardiovascular in the sense like you don’t get your super, super sweat on, but it is good for strengthening, we do a lot of push-ups and sit-ups,” said Morgan Toombs, the Flirty Fitness instructor.

A typical class lasts for an hour. It starts off with sexy walking to try to get the class into a sexy mood, Toombs said, and then they do sit-ups and push-ups. “They’re not moves you would normally do in public, so you really have to get people’s hearts racing.”

Ryan Farnum, a squash coach at Ryerson’s RAC, thinks the class is great. “If it makes people feel more confident in addition to losing weight, then why not?”

The class works to tone your muscles, improve your coordination and balance. It works all your muscles, from the obvious abs and butt to calves and chest. But not only does Flirty Fitness work to improve the obvious fitness factors, it provides an opportunity for women to celebrate their sexuality in a controlled environment.

“They’re obviously already interested in that form of dancing,” Farnum said. “So it’s better that they learn it here rather than from TV or porn.”

But the idea that Ryerson offers a dance class that could be alternatively learnt from a porno film doesn’t seem to raise skepticism on campus.

“Flirty fitness is a good option for women at the gym,” said Jessica Griffiths, a second-year student. “I think it’s good for Ryerson, it adds to our already diverse school.”