But others argue that anything that gets people excited about working out is a good thing.
"Any new way of exercising without having to use equipment is great," said 22-year-old Shepherd student Melia Mollohan after a Wednesday night class wrapped up. Mollohan works out as often as four times a week.
More than two dozen women of varying ages and body types met at the Wellness Center gym for a striptease aerobics class. They stretched and warmed up -similar to what you'd expect at a typical aerobics class, give or take a few hip thrusts - to Ray J's "Sexy Can I." Then they learned the first few eight-counts for a new routine, which called for spread-eagle squatting, ample hip tossing and some hip swiveling in a push-up position.
There were no scantily clad women - all tank tops, shorts or capris, and sneakers. Seeley wore a black ball cap, black Nikes and a ponytail. She said if a routine calls for "stripping," women are given clothes to put on top of the clothes they wore to class. Sometimes they dance in chairs.
Exotic but useful
Striptease aerobics were introduced in California a half-dozen years ago. Carmen Electra starred in a series of aerobic striptease videos in 2003. The workout trend has since taken on many forms. There are pole-dancing fitness classes, cardio-striptease classes, celebrity-endorsed DVD sets, the list goes on. Most of these classes require certification from the workouts' creators.
The Shepherd Wellness Center uses the Urban Striptease Aerobics workout, the brainchild of Tricia Murphy, a Seattle-based fitness instructor.
Bryant said that on the broad spectrum of workout trends, strip aerobics in all of its forms falls under the same category as boxing clubs, dance-aerobics hybrids and outdoor boot camps - workouts with a twist. The American Council on Exercise ranked nontraditional workouts as the top fitness trend for 2008.
In the past, workouts that are a little too far outside the box, workouts that do not incorporate movement patterns most exercisers are already familiar with, have not been sustainable as trends. Bryant said the popularity of striptease aerobics has already started to level off.
Wellness Center has been offering Wednesday night Urban Striptease Aerobics classes since January. Its popularity seems to be growing, Seeley said.
Shepherd class participant Natalie Liston, another Shepherd student, was new to the class. She said the push-ups were the hardest part.
"I think I might come back," Liston said.
