Girls Who Twerk Are Healthier, More Confident And More Successful
The evolution of the way humans dance can tell us what we need to know about the future and where society is headed. But it mostly tells us women love to twerk and they're never going to stop.
From boogying in the 70s to the bumping and grinding of the 90s, there's always been some form of twerking.
In 2015, it's still all about dat ass.
But even before that, the origins of twerking trace all the way to West Africa where traditional dances, like the Mapouka in Côte d'Ivoire, have been a part of the culture for centuries.
Now, thanks to DJs like Diplo and the rise of southern trap hip-hop, mainstream music today is literally tailored to twerk to. But because of Miley Cyrus, it's viewed by some as just a raunchy, sexualized dance.
However, real ones know it's so much more than that. It could be a celebratory way to express joy, a source of confidence for women and potentially the future of the fitness industry.
Twerking burns more calories than yoga and spinning.
Fitness these days is all about trends and it's not outlandish to believe the next global fitness phenomenon could be twerking.
Twerk icon Lexy Pantera, who founded TwerkOut, is at the very forefront of the revolution and is investing all her time expanding her brand and teaching women everywhere how to twerk.
She's passionate about her work, saying,
I'd love to teach the world to twerk because, whether they admit it or not, all women want to twerk.
The cardiovascular moves in her routines are the perfect way to stay fit and according to Lexy,
You can burn 1,200 calories in an hour and it's a full body workout – I knew it would catch on.
In comparison, you burn 100 to 450 calories per hour from a yoga class and 400-600 calories from a 40-minute spin class. A better solution? Twerking!
It works the deep muscles of the hips as well as the core muscles of the lower back and abs. Lexy's freestyle twerking exercises are revolutionary and you can see just how real it gets below.
Twerking builds confidence and improves sex lives.
Another equally important benefit of twerking is what it can do for the simple psyche of someone's self-confidence.
It doesn't matter if you're a full-figured woman, have a skinnier frame or anything between. Everybody has a booty and can shake that sh*t. According to Protwerker SA dancer Kimberly Cindi,
It has certainly given us big girls who would have not been looked at 10 years ago the confidence to shake our buttocks without being embarrassed. It has given us recognition and has done away with the old stereotype that skinny is sexy.
Lexy Panterra agrees and says while her classes might be foreign at first, students who pick it up can't stop.
Some people may be a little intimidated at first as it's really out there but once they start they can't stop – twerking is addictive... And nobody is too big to twerk.
Not only that, but she says it also helps with other important things.
I have women coming to me saying they were nervous at first but now their sex life has improved dramatically after taking the class.
Can confidence from twerking translate to other areas of life?
The connection between self-confidence and success is interesting. Does success yield self-confidence or vice versa?
Lexy said,
It's an incredibly sexy thing to do and it's my mission to take women out of their comfort zone and get them twerking.
Getting out of your comfort zone and having higher self-esteem are believed to make you more victorious in other areas of life. According to a study by the College Foundation of North Carolina,
People with lots of confidence in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. They set themselves challenging goals and maintain a strong commitment to them.
It's also how those confident people approach failure that makes them so resilient in everything else they do.
In the face of failure, confident people can also heighten and sustain their efforts. They quickly recover their sense of efficacy after failures or setbacks.
There's science behind twerking and why it's natural.
There are actually a few scientific theories about twerking.
Bill Nye explained to us he believes it's just a fad that will die out, but further investigation shows it's essentially a mating ritual, meaning guys are naturally attracted to women who do it.
Twerking can be explained by evolutionary biology.
According to Science of People lead investigator Vanessa Van Edwards, the science of twerking can be broken down into three principles:
1. Shape Shifting: Men love the roundness of a woman's body. The only thing they love more than the roundness of a woman's rump is the jiggling of a woman's butt — and twerking showcases both. 2. Babies: Twerking puts a woman in the prime mating position. Ya, you know the one I mean. So instinctively, men and women know that canine-style stance is great for making babies. 3. What the What!? Our brains love seeing unusual and bizarre things. Twerking is definitely not… something we normally see.
Twerking is harmless but helpful.
To many, twerking is still nothing but shaking some ass.
If that's how you choose to look at it, then bet, but there are also many benefits that can no longer be overlooked or undermined.
It brings joy to people's lives, when participating or watching, and a twerk contest will always liven up any company event.
Whether or not it's part of a globally-recognized fitness brand or a source of confidence for women, twerking is inspiring people.
The perception of people who twerk will continue to change over the years and soon it will be looked at as harmless as it is.
The scary thought is which ratchet-ass dance will succeed twerking? We'll be able to thank our children for that, whatever it may be.
