Health & Fitness: Some might say I’m a fitness freak. Marathons, rowing, polo, ping pong, pole dancing-you name it, I’ve tried it for the sport of it. I just found a new fitness concept though that made my heart race for excitement and pump for energy: Tribal Energy Cardio.

There’s no track of music or special shoes needed for this type of dance, although you might wrap an African skirt around your waist for fashion’s sake. Infectious live drumming and natural rhythm are all you need while Suzanne Forbes, the mastermind (and PhD doctor, I might add) behind this intense, engaging dance concept, leads the way. I’ve done salsa, hip hop, ballet and even country dance before, but never have a felt a real soul-level urge to move until I tried this tribal form of dance. All moves are shown in a step-by-step format so every dancer (young or old, African or not) can pick up the full body moves with gradual grace.

Tribal Energy Cardio is taught at a San Diego based dance studio, but you can also purchase a fabulous DVD from Amazon.