If you're looking for a workout to put a spring in your step, why not try out cheerleading? Ronita Dutta and Peggy Nuttall shook their pom-poms all in the name of research.

Cheerleading has always held a special place in my heart. Probably something to do with my bottomless appetite for US High School TV shows from Beverley Hills 90210 and Dawson's Creek to Buffy and One Tree Hill. So it was no surprise to anyone who knows me when I jumped at the chance of trying a cheerleading class.

It wasn't until later that I began to speculate about what would be involved. Would there be pom-poms? Would we have to balance on eachothers shoulders? Would we be expected to do the splits?! Would I be expected to dye my hair blonde and only date basket ball players? Oh God. What was I letting myself in for? Speculation soon turned to mild panic and if fellow iVillage editor Peggy hadn't committed to trying it to, I might well have given the whole thing a miss. Which would have been a mistake, because it was actually a lot of fun.

On arrival we were asked to collect our pom-poms from peppy instructor CeCe for a quick warm up routine. So far so good. Shake it to the left, shake it to the right. A few grapevines and hamstring curls. Nothing too taxing and both Peggy and I were keeping up with the rest of the class without much bother. Next came the chanting. Now, this was harder that you'd expect. Getting the words out wasn't too difficult, but shouting them out with a fixed perky grin on your face is harder than you?d think. I didn't dare make eye-contact with the Peggy for fear we'd both end up on the floor in fits of giggles. Here's a couple of examples:

'Work it, put on a show,
Let them know we're good to go'

and

'We are dynamite
yeah we rock, you know that's right.

See what I mean? This kind of stuff doesn't come easy to us Brits!

Next for the complicated stuff. A choreographed cheerleading routine (which some of the girls had already learnt) to Rhianna's Shut Up and Drive. We just about kept up though this bit although our styling left a lot to be desired. It seemed a lot to take in, and I found that because I was concentrating on the moves I wasn't throwing myself into the jumps, turns, shakes, shimmies and lunges with as much gusto as I could. But I guess all that comes with time.

CeCe then separated the class into two groups: beginners and improvers. She taught our group to do a special move that involved swishing the pom-poms through the air a bit like a star jump. The others were doing jumps too, but they were a lot more complicated.

Then it was back to go over the routine one final time before stretching and winding down. I felt surprisingly energized after the class and went home to bake fairy cakes and watch Heroes ? incidentally also staring a cheerleader.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. The class had a really good atmosphere and unlike some forms of exercise, it didn't really feel like hard work. Although it probably would once you've picked up the basics.

Ronita and Peggy attended a class with The Cheerleading Company.

To see the professionals at work check out the Miami Dolphins at Wembley stadium on 28 October 2007