ZUMBA!!!

Yesterday I took my very first Zumba class. I have to admit, I felt a little embarrassed and awkward stepping into the class. I was never the girl dancing in the middle of the circle at high school dances. I was the girl making the circle, clapping in time to the music chanting "GO INSERTNAMEHERE!! GO INSERTNAMEHERE!!"

However, I let that insecurity go when I saw that I was not the only gal in the room who lacked body rhythm. The experience actually brought me back to elementary school when each grade level put on a dance skit for the Founder's Day show at the local middle school. It freaked me out back then to learn a simple dance routine but I still remembered the basic "shuffle-lefts" and "travel-ups." But letting loose with the hips was something I was never good at. I'd like to blame that on a chronic bad back, but it has never been in me shake my butt, wiggle my hips or pelvic thrust.

On the whole the class was really fun. It really mixes up the workout. Plus being crammed into a 20' x 40' room with 50+ other people (mostly women) had me checking out all the bodacious bods of the Zumba vets and made me really want to give it 100%. If these women got their bodies by doing Zumba, then I am all in! It also played into my competitive nature. When I saw the Zumba vets hustle, I wanted to hustle. When I saw their perfect dance posture, I wanted to have perfect dance posture (and this one is really important because keeping that elevated and elongated posture give the abs and core a real workout!) When the chicks with the bionic booties started shaking it, I WANTED TO SHAKE IT!

Also being a lover of music I was completely engaged for the duration of the hour in the mix of current popular dance hits, Latin beats, and world music.

All in all, it was a pretty cool class. I am definitely going back and getting there early. I had no idea how many gym rats would be into Zumba. It took me 10 minutes to find a parking spot and once I saw the crowd, I contemplated ditching the class altogether. But I am totally glad I stayed. I have been seriously slacking on the gym (but consequently really being vigilant about limiting my calories - so I still see results on the scale each morning.) I think this Zumba class is just the thing to get me remotivated!