Seat Yourself -- The Chair As Base For An Aerobic Workout

AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE reader's request a bit unrealistic: "How about writing something on exercises for couch potatoes that can be done while watching TV and still be beneficial?" she wrote. Sure, and how about Dean Ornish endorsing Fratelli's?

Then, as can happen, something arrived that looked like it just might appease her. "Chair Dancing," the video was called. "A new concept in aerobics fitness." "Exercise To The Beat Without Leaving Your Seat!"

Exercising with videos is not my favorite type of workout, but this one I couldn't pass up. Not just because it could offer something to the couch potatoes of the world. What really caught my eye were the two paper plates that arrived with the video. That's right, paper plates. Imprinted, smack in the middle, with the Chair Dancing logo.

I wanted to see a video made by someone with the nerve to put her logo on paper plates.

The story of Chair Dancing, I learned later, began 10 years ago when dancer-teacher Jodi Stolove came down wrong and suffered a broken ankle. Determined to continue teaching, she brought a chair to class and taught from there. After eight weeks she noticed that, curiously, she seemed to be staying in shape. Stolove pursued the idea of seated aerobics while teaching senior citizens on a cruise ship, and refined it with seriously overweight people in a corporate wellness program. Three years ago the polished Chair Dancing video hit the mail-order airwaves, and 10,000 have been sold.

I wasn't sold, however, until I could see how good a workout I could get in a chair. But already I liked some of the starting points: No special equipment, shoes or clothing. Easily adaptable for children, seniors, pregnant women, large people and those with disabilities.

Stolove starts off with a primer on checking heart rates, which are taken several times throughout the video. Then we're ready to begin. Sit forward, she says, tighten the stomach muscles, have your paper plates handy and... Oops. Those paper plates weren't some promotional gimmick, they were part of the workout. And I left my imprinted ones at work. While Stolove gets into the warm-up phase, I'm rifling through the cupboards.

I re-join with two sorry-looking paper plates in hand. Held together or one in each hand, they would become a top hat, then rowing paddles, then cymbals - anything to keep the arms moving with purpose and a little wind resistance. Soon I'm tapping my toes and heels, flapping my arms like wings, marching, playing imaginary drums and trombone, gliding and swimming - all while seated. Stolove's commentary ("Proud to be you!" "Feelin' good today!") and the custom-scored music are hardly subtle but, as she said later, she doesn't mind a little corn if it's motivating.

I found incentive enough just trying to keep up with the kick chorus in the toning phase. The chair cha-cha and can-can in the aerobic phase dashed my earlier hopes: Surely I'd be more coordinated at seated aerobic dance than its standing equivalent.

On my first run-through, when I was busy bungling the movements, my heart rate started at 80 and stayed near there the entire 40 minutes. The chart on the video, however, said it should be between 110 and 150. So the next day I followed Stolove's "more vigorous" movements and managed to get up to 100 during the aerobic phase. Perhaps with practice I could become more dynamic, but I'm inclined to think this video is best for people who for various health reasons must sit, such as seniors who fear falling, or people with arthritic hips or knees.

"Chair Dancing" costs $19.95 plus $4 shipping and handling; for information or to order, call 1-800-551-4386 or write 2640 Del Mar Heights Rd., Suite 183, Del Mar, CA 92014.

And stay tuned for the sequel. Planned for January is the release of "Chair Dancing Around The World," with 11 new routines, including a polka, a Moroccan belly dance, two country-western dances, a samba and a Mexican hat dance. Just one more opportunity for couch potatoes to sit up, tighten their abdominals and take notice.

Molly Martin is assistant editor of Pacific Magazine. Send questions or comments to P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111 or e-mail mmar-new@seatimes.com.