At DietsInReview, we take pride in being your premiere lifestyle website. Whether we’re whipping up a healthy recipe or trying out a new piece of exercise gear, our goal is to make sure we’re providing all the information you need to make your life the best it can be. That’s why we’re introducing you to the newest fitness craze, “Prancercise.”
Wait. What? In case you missed it, Joanna Rohrback, prancing pioneer, released a video of the the “fitness workout” she created way back in 1989. She became an instant YouTube darling, and as of today, has just shy of 4 million views. Inspired by horses, Prancercise is a “springy, rhythmic way of moving forward, similar to a horse’s gait.” Ankle and wrist weights are used intermittently to increase resistance. The basic moves include the “Prancercise walk” the “Prancercise trot” and by the time Joanna busts out the “Prancercise gallop,” look out ’cause that little filly is really on the move.
Rohrback, a 61-year-old social worker from Coral Springs, Florida, says she’s “flabbergasted” by all the attention and even appeared on the Today Show plaza where she coaxed Natalie Morales to trot around in three-inch heels. Wearing a yellow T-shirt and black loose fitting cotton pants, Joanna’s Today Show outfit was markedly different than her original video. Back then, her hair was perfectly coiffed and her workout togs included a salmon jacket with shoulder pads and tight white leggings. The outfit is best described as an “exercise mullet” – business on the top, Jazzercise on the bottom.
While there is no doubt that Prancercise provides a credible cardio workout, the video itself is what really has people talking. From the rockin’ guitar riff that plays throughout the video, which made me wonder if Kenny Loggins was just off-camera, to Joanna’s rhyme-time commentary like “Now we’re gonna step up the pace with the Prancercise trot, it’s really hot,” people are clamoring to watch. In just a few days, several Prancercise parodies have also sprung up on YouTube.
What the Twitterverse is saying about Prancercise –
What we need is a flashmob #Prancercise. Someone make that happen.
— Kate Curtis (@WillWallyWonder) June 2, 2024
My new favourite thing is watching people watch the #prancercise video for the first time
— Holly Paulin (@AgentHolly) June 2, 2024
“Neighamaste” is what we say at the end of our workout. #prancercise
— jeremyjfgray (@jeremyjfgray) June 1, 2024
When it comes to exercise, we say don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Grab your pearls and ankle weights, head to your neighborhood park and as Joanna would say, “Stop talkin’ and do some walkin’.”
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