Lipstick Powder N Paint

By Karen Kwan

The soca music blasting from the speakers almost has us forgetting we’re working out and are instead enjoying a beach vacation in Trinidad.

With Caribana coming up in Toronto, we’ve been in the mood for everything Caribbean and gave the Socacize workout a try. The brainchild of Toronto’s Ayanna Lee-Rivears, this creative blend of cardio workout is set to a mix of Caribbean music, including everything from chutney, reggae, soca, calypso and on occasion live drums. You can expect to hear music from Destra, Sayann Lyons and Vybez Kartel in a Socacize class.

As for what the workout involves? “These are moves that you can take to the dance floor, and you’ll be so caught up in the routine and having a good time, you’ll forget you’re working out,” says Lee-Rivears. You’ll start with a bacchanal warm up, followed by a high-impact cardio dance routine, a winding and toning section, and finally, a cool down set to relaxing grooving music. Classic moves? Get ready to sweat:

Pump it: Standing with one leg forward, hand up in the air in a fist, pumping your arm, chest and pelvis.
Shimmy shake: In a squat and arching your back, shake that booty!
Dip and wind: In plank position, dip your chest down and back up, winding your body as you do.
Tusty: Back up that booty, fast!
Slap chop: Slap your booty with your left hand, followed by chopping the pelvic area with both hands.

Sound fun? It is. Lee-Rivears swears that the party vibe of Socacize makes the workout unique and that you won’t even notice you may be burning up to 1,000 calories in a one-hour class.

Socacize is taught in studios in several cities, including Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, New York and Washington, but if you can’t find a class near you, there a DVD available so you can get your groove on right at home wherever you live.