Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 27, 1993 TAG: 9309250078
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CRYSTAL DEMPSEY KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The slide is the latest and slickest exercise trend.
The basic move, however, isn't so new. Remember Tom Cruise (wearing only that oxford shirt and briefs with his socks) gliding across his living room and belting out a Bob Seger song in "Risky Business"?
If you've ever slid across your grandmother's hardwood floors in your socks, then you have a good idea of what the slide's all about.
"It's a lot of fun but it's a lot more work than you think," said B.J. Bicknell of Charlotte, N.C. "The closest thing I can think of that it's like is rollerblading."
"It's an exercise for all levels," says Claudette Horne, fitness director for the Central YMCA in Charlotte. "It's one more tool to keep you motivated and keep you from getting bored with your fitness routine. And it's great for cross-training."
The exercise, long used in speed-skater training, targets the thighs and fanny. Sliders move from side to side across a thin, vinyl mat. Pumping the arms jacks up the heart rate.
A sense of adventure and a little balance are needed.
Most people wobble, totter and yelp before getting their bearings. It's best to start with a partner to steady the slider. Within minutes, the inner thighs burn.
Like most fitness trends, the slide has a celebrity spokesperson. Former "Charlie's Angel" Cheryl Ladd hawks a $50 BodySlide you can use at home. Nike, Reebok and other companies sell mats at most athletic equipment stores.
The exercise is so new that most fitness centers are waiting to see if it catches on.
by CNB