Have you heard about the dance fitness craze called "Zumba?" My sister teaches Zumba at a local gym. Toby Mac raps about Zumba in Mandisa's "Good Morning Song." Every gym worth its weight offers several Zumba classes during the week. Zumba is hot!
Since we had a lean Christmas this year, I decided to use what I already had and expand my horizons at my local gym. A lot of the fitness classes that are offered on a daily basis are offered while I am at work so I printed a schedule and considered which classes I would try over break. I chose three very different fitness classes - Spinning, Boot Camp fitness and Zumba. I thought Zumba would be fun because I have an aptitude for music, I love to dance and I enjoy Latin dance music. Let's begin with the Spinning class....
If you're not familiar with Spinning, you are in a darkened room with music blaring on a specially-designed bike for uphill and downhill riding. The class I took was at 5:45 a.m. and lasted 45 minutes. I wasn't sure I would enjoy this experience, but I thought it would be a great opportunity to do some interval training and get ready for my day. I rode 16 miles in 45 minutes and am not sure I will ever attempt this fitness activity again. I guess I'm actually a beach-cruiser kind of gal. I live in Florida and it is flatter than flat in my part of the state.
Next, I decided to try Boot Camp fitness. This class is designed to help strengthen your frame and build flexibility with a little cardio thrown in for good measure. The instructor of this class was a track star who is trying to turn pro. She did 45-minutes with us, trained local firefighters for an hour thereafter and then did her track workout. Need I say more? I opted for 5-pound weights and a step at medium height. The abdominal work we did on the mat which was placed on top of the step was killer, but she complimented me on the strength of my abs at the end of the class. I told her it was probably years of singing and deep breathing...
And then there was Zumba. The first class I attended was taught by a substitute. This girl didn't have one ounce of fat on her body but she did have a very thick foreign accent and more energy than I have ever had on any day in my entire life. If you weren't sure what to do, she would stand in front of you as if she were a mirror and model what you should be doing. If you weren't kickin' it, she'd let you know that too. She had a great sense of rhythm, which I appreciated, and got my heart-rate up where it needed to be for a great cardio workout. I liked her. I would go back and take her class again.
Today, I decided to try another Zumba instructor just for fun. This one reminded me of a Puerto Rican hoochee-momma. She knew every lyric of every song in Spanish. She clicked and crowed every ten seconds and rolled her tongue like only a Spanish-speaking individual can. I salsa'd, samba'd and cha-cha'd my way through an hour-long class. I moved portions of my body I never knew could move in that way. (There's a reason why three out of the four girls in my family were given dance lessons as young children. I was not one of them.) I had the most fun watching one lady in the back who was fully clothed in workout gear and did nothing but stand spread-eagle in the back with her hands waving in the air the entire time. I'm not sure if she was praising God or worshiping Mother Earth, but she wished us all well at the end of the class and I assume she will return to repeat the experience next week. It's probably best that this class is offered while I am at work.
I learned a lot about myself over the course of this experience. First of all, a 52-year old can't move like a twenty-something, slippery shoes with orthotics in them work best for Zumba fitness and I can pump iron with the best of them, when called upon to do so. I hope you've enjoyed your time off. I certainly have.
Until next time...
