Blanket has helped devise a novel way of working out with an excerise class with a difference.  Working with our client Mezza Luna, the Lebanese and Moroccan restaurant on City Road, we helped provide customers with a course of traditional Middle Eastern belly dance classes designed in conjunction with a personal fitness trainer.

Taking place when the restaurant was normally closed to diners, the classes were designed to complement the restaurant’s range of healthy eating options including charcoal grilled meats and vegetables and salads.

Restaurant owner Nawfal Kelaby who came to Cardiff in 1984 from Iraq and opened Mezza Luna in 2006 said:

“We like to give our customers a rich cultural experience when they visit Mezza Luna, we love introducing people to our cuisine and the important part that dance plays in our lives.  People love to join in our Friday and Saturday evening dance displays, so we thought we would turn them into organised fitness events and consulted a personal trainer for advice on putting a programme together.  Combined with healthy eating options on our menu, we feel this is an enjoyable combination of healthy dance and food!”

Belly-dancing is claimed to burn as many calories as cycling and swimming, whilst offering an enjoyable way to keep fit.

Cardiff-based Personal Trainer Ed Brown said of the course, “Dance is a great way to stay fit and what better way than to learn art of belly dancing which; it is easy on the joints, a good exercise for weight loss and requires a lot of energy.

The number of calories burned obviously depends on how long you dance for and how hard you train, but it is a great workout for people who aren’t keen on gyms and who are looking for something a bit different.”

Italian-born belly-dance instructor Valeria Lo Lacono – who took the classes said, “Belly-dancing is great for people of all ages, shapes and sizes and really focuses on strengthening the core muscles and toning the hips, waist and thighs as well as playing a key role in improving people’s  emotional health. It can even help people deal with stress and boost self confidence.”

To book your table at Mezza Luna call: 029 20 472771.