From your hair color to your drink, it's safe to say the mermaid trend has exploded within recent years. And thanks to the latest exercise craze, your dreams of being Ariel might actually become a reality!
When I heard about mermaid fitness classes popping up across the country, I had to find out for myself if the seaweed is actually greener on the other side.
The group fitness class combines yoga, pilates and cardio exercises while wearing a fin underwater for a full-body workout.
So I donned my fin (Fin Fun provided tails for the class) and headed under the sea... well... pool to see for my Disney-obsessed self what being a mermaid is all about! (Cue "Little Mermaid" music.)
And let me tell you... being a mermaid was NO joke! My entire body was sore days later and it was surprisingly really tough, especially trying not to drown. (Yes, this was a real concern!)
"When you do a body dolphin, you're using all of your core muscles. The movement is an undulation — it starts at the top of your core and then flows through your hips, out your legs, and down your feet," Melissa Flannery, the class instructor and co-owner of Wings Over Water School of Swimming told TODAY.
The class was full of fun and worthwhile exercises — crunches, obliques, mermaid push-ups and more!
"You're getting a glute workout and an ab workout — you can do the crunches on the wall with the tail. The water provides the resistance, and so that's a more effective workout for you with the water," Flannery said.
Even though I wasn't exactly nailing the undulation (or any of the moves for that matter), the class itself was such a blast!
"I would rather be a mermaid in a pool than run a 5K or be on a treadmill. It's just too much fun. And what better thing to do than laugh at yourself and smile and have a good time with your girlfriends?"
Agreed! We could all use a little laugh, and this was definitely the place to do it.