Secrets to Having a Body Like Shakira Are Revealed

By Chris Jancelewicz Posted Oct 14th 2010 01:30PM

As her song famously says, Shakira's hips don't lie. And New York-based belly-dancer and fitness instructor Amira Mor says that Shakira's body doesn't lie, either; a dedicated woman can get that beautiful curvy and healthy body by having fun with belly-dancing. Amira appeared in 'Sex and the City 2' and has 14 workout DVDs on the market. She has danced her entire life -- from ballet to flamenco to jazz -- and even her fitness exercises are dances.

One of the biggest benefits to belly-dancing is it's low-impact exercise, asserts Amira. "It's low-impact, which means no injury whatsoever," she says. "Many doctors recommend it. My technique is body isolation. You learn to move part of your body, and I'm talking about a part of your body that you don't even know exists. It's also an expression of your feminine side. It works on parts of your body that no other fitness does."

Check Out Some Exercises You Can Do at Home After the Jump!

The Hips You Want in Motion

Through her various sexy music videos, Shakira has managed to make belly-dancing more of a mainstream activity. While it has always been popular in European and Middle Eastern locales, only recently has it started popping up at gyms and fitness centers in America. "Most people I know hate going to the gym," says Amira. "Even if they go, they hate it. People also seldom stick to that routine. It's not enjoyable. The actual journey isn't fun. Dancing is musical, so you'll see now that at a lot of gyms, they have musical or dancing classes."

Another key component to belly-dancing is it reinforces the idea that a woman's body naturally has curves. It doesn't promote an emaciated, skinny figure. "Belly-dancing isn't all about fitness," says Amira. "It's about the spiritual connection to womanhood, the emotional part. You learn to love your body. How many women do you know -- at any age -- who love their bodies? What is a perfect body? It's definitely not what the magazines say. The point should be whether you love your body or not."

The best part about dancing as exercise, says Amira, is that it can be done at any time, anywhere. "Nobody has time anymore. Even at home, there is less motivation to move. it's not about taking an hour or more out of your daily life. First you learn the moves, and then you make it 24/7. You can be doing the dishes and shimmying your hips along to Shakira. You can be doing your laundry, and undulating along with it. I tell my students that when they're standing in line at the supermarket, to squeeze their glutes. Nobody can see it. It can even make you smile. If you move like a beautiful woman, you feel like a beautiful woman."

For more exercises, visit Amira Mor's YouTube channel.

Tags: shakira