Capoeira

Exercise has never been my cup of tea. Not because I'm lazy, I just can't find a type of sport that suits me. Jogging and going to the gym is boring. Swimming should only be done in the sea during summer. But recently I tried a different sort of exercise I know I will fall in love with. It is capoeira, a traditional Brazilian dance that includes martial arts moves.

My teacher is Eddy Murphy, an instructor of capoeira. In fact the proper title for Murphy is master, the respectful way to address a qualified capoeira instructor in Brazil.

Eddy says that capoeira is the second most popular sports in Brazil after football. The uniform is in white, which represents peace.

'It is dance, sport, art and ritual melted in one pot,' he says. 'And it burns a lot more calories than aerobics.' Eddy's six-pack muscles and his perfectly toned body are the proof.

Capoeira was founded by African slaves who were brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonisers. In those uncivilised days, the slaves were likely to be attacked by their masters, and learning how to protect themselves was essential. This was how capoeira started. The basic moves evolve around attacking and defending.

My first capoeira lesson begins with a series of so-called warm up exercises which involve running and skipping in circles. To me, who runs only when chasing buses or ferries, it is exhausting stuff.

Finally we move on to stretching exercises before learning the basic capoeira step - ginga. Ginga is not difficult to learn and is a defensive move which involves bending your left knee and stretching your right leg behind. Then you lean forward and hold your right forearm up to cover your face.