Well last night was my very first zumba class, and boy oh boy was it an incredible workout. It is completely polar opposite of tai chi but I loved it. I have always loved to dance…I am terrible but it was so fun.
The instructor was incredible, she made me so welcome in the class. There were three other ladies about the same age as me that were new to zumba as well. She really took time to make us feel comfortable. Before we started the class she said something that really stuck with me and made me feel comfortable, “even if you think you don’t know what you are doing, keep moving, keep shaking, and you are doing it perfect.”
The ladies who are “regulars” with zumba were really nice too. While we were waiting for the instructor to arrive they were chatting with us and helping us feel welcomed. They talked about how long they had be doing zumba and how much they loved it. The group of women called themselves a zumba family, it really felt like they were too. It was such an awesome environment to be in.
The music was very different than I am used to but it was a great change of pace for me. It was a mix of Latin, hip hop, and pop to keep the energy high. Zumba is a mix of all sorts of dance; Latin, jazz, rhythm, and everything in-between. For me it was mostly jiggling around but somehow I felt get doing it. Even though I love dancing I don’t have any rhythm to keep my on beat but the instructor would call out cue’s to move and it was really easy watching her in the mirror.
After class everyone kind of hung around and chatted about each other’s families and just daily life. It was really neat seeing how this group of women started out taking the same class and now are great friends. They were so kind, asking me questions and getting to know me. A few ladies had just become empty nesters this year, so I was able to give them a little advice!
I laughed and had so much fun the entire 55 minutes of zumba my abs were sore from moving and laughing so much. The women who come regularly were so good, they knew all the moves and what came next. I am not worried though, I will be like them soon enough; I will be making zumba a part of my weekly routine for sure.
Zumba was the most fun I have had working out in a really long time. It felt great changing up my routine and letting lose a little.
Until next time, zumba away!
Nancy
