Today is Thursday, July 28, 2011. Last night I tried Zumba for the first time in a very long time. I only have three words to describe it: CRAZY. SEXY. COOL.
Ok, so did you really think I'd stop at 3 words? Didn't think so. Plus, those ones are already taken by the best all-female R&B/Hip Hop group of my pre-teen years.
Getting back to the point... Zumba was freakin fantastic. I was a little concerned about the class size at first. There was easily 40 people crammed into a 20x30 ft room. Luckily, the room had a window & really high ceilings or we'd all be choking on each other's sweaty air.
I chose a spot close to the window & wall on the far right-hand side of the room. While everyone milled around waiting for the class to begin, I noticed that it was mostly female participants (only 2 or 3 guys) and while it wasn't very diverse ethnically (most were Filipino or Hispanic) there was definitely a wide range of body sizes & age groups. Some women even brought their kids.
Finally the music started & in burst the instructor like a small young Asian glowing ball of fun. His smile cut through every particle in the room. I found myself immediately excited for what he had in store! He jumped right into the first routine, which was more of a collection of warm-up moves, but came guns blazing with enthusiasm. I couldn't help but smile. I could tell it was going to be fun before we'd even started any of the actual dance moves!
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| Photo by marfis75 |
In just a few minutes I could feel my heart rate rising. The dances were fast-paced, but not difficult to learn. The instructor, Jeff, was careful to show us the steps repeatedly while still keeping up the pace so it was more about continuously moving rather than doing it perfectly. It seems everyone in the room was able to go at their own pace yet get the full-body workout that Zumba offers. Many of the moves required arm movements as well, which kept the heart rate up. Within 10 minutes, I was working up a good sweat.
The music was awesome. I felt like I was in a salsa club, strutting my stuff on the dance floor. Jeff enticed us to make noise & have fun! The guy smiled non-stop. I could tell he was genuinely having a good time too. He moved his hips better than most of the women in the room, but he had the energy (and hair) of Sonic the Hedgehog.
For some reason, I thought the class might only be 30 minutes long, but when that amount of time came & passed, I realized we were going to be there a full hour. Part of me was excited, but the other part of me (the part that hasn't had a truly good workout in almost 2 weeks) was wondering if I'd last the full hour!
But because I was having so much fun, I did make it the full hour. I went at my own steady pace when I got out of breath, and when I got a burst of energy, I danced with all the passion I had inside. I felt sexy. I felt confident. I felt like I did in high school when dancing was a daily thing for me. I got a little choked up at one point because I remembered how much I love to dance, and was sad that I haven't kept it as a regular routine in my life after becoming a busy "adult".
By the end of it, I was hooting & hollering & shaking my goods like I'd been doing it for years. I noticed some other women moving & smiling like they were having the time of their lives too, and that's how I knew I was in love with Zumba.
After the class ended, I approached Jeff & thanked him for such a fun & inspiring workout. I also met a woman who has been doing Zumba for a while. I think her name was Nancy. She pointed out that even if she doesn't lose weight by doing Zumba, she loves it because it always puts her in a good mood. We chatted for a bit, and I was inspired by her passion for Zumba & what it seemed to do for confidence/mood boosting.
Her: "I love dancing, but I don't really like going to clubs!"
Me: "I love dancing too, but doing it in heels is hard!"
***combined laughter***
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| Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography |
That's when I realized this could be exactly what I was looking for!! Then I remembered, she and I weren't the only ones smiling during the class. Almost every single person in the room was having a great time. Not many workouts offer the same benefit.
I plan to make Zumba my official Wednesday & Friday evening activity. Knowing that I'll be in a good mood at least twice a week is something to look forward to, and knowing that it might actually help me shed a few pounds is even more awesome.
I owe a BIG thank you to my boyfriendguy for encouraging me to try Zumba again. Thanks babe! <3
If you have any other ideas for great dance workouts, please comment below or on my Facebook page! I'd also love to hear about your experiences, good or bad, with Zumba... places you've taken classes, where it's offered for free, etc. or if you are considering Zumba & have any questions for me, I'd be happy to answer!
Thanks for reading & have a lovely afternoon! :)
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