I Survived My First Zumba Class
My sister has been bugging me for months to take a dance class with her. I finally found a local class not too far from my home that offered a Zumba class multiple times a week. I figured that was good enough because it was the only class I could find without driving 20 miles from the southwest suburbs to the north side of Chicago.
I was not looking forward to taking this class. Taking any workout class as a plus size woman can be intimidating. This class was not my first time doing Zumba. I mastered the beginner level of Zumba on the Wii, so I felt that at least I would know the basic moves.
Let go back in time for a moment. The first class I ever took was back in the 90’s when step aerobics became popular. During the 90’s, expensive ass Bally’s was the only major player when it came to fitness centers. My friend talked me into going with her, so I agreed to go after work. I packed up a gym bag like I was the fitness queen that I knew I wasn’t. I walked into the class with my friend, and there I was in a room with nothing but thin, blonde-haired, blue-eyed women. I happily took a place in the back so no one could see me. The music started, and these women started stepping as if their very life depended on it. It was like being in a weird remake of the Stepford Wives; everyone was in synch like robots. After 5 minutes, I thought oh hell no and I excused myself.
I walked into the Zumba class, and the instructor immediately greeted us. To my surprise, he wasn’t a chiseled guy with a six pack but a regular size pudgy, short guy. He asked me was I into fitness. I told him, I did the Wii Fit and walked on my treadmill. In reality, I was thinking………
I knew that my treadmill hadn’t seen me in months. In fact, it’s covered with blankets at the moment.
I was happy to see a variety of sizes and ages in the class. I expected the instructor to at least start off with something slow to warm us up. I wanted the warm-up so that I could get the creaking sound out of my knees that happens every time I bend or squat. No such luck! The music started and the instructor went hard quicker than I expected. There I was doing the two-step while I try to figure out how to get my legs and thighs to mimic the instructor. Finally, I caught on (just a little), and I was able to move at least in the same rhythm.
I thought that I would have to sit down, but I didn’t. I made it through the whole class. It is an intense form of exercise and I think many may find it fun. Maybe next time I can find a bunny hop class or something mild. It was the longest hour of my life! My sister initially liked the class, but she’s looking for a hip-hop class. It’s good to try something new, but I’ll stick to my daily walks and dancing around my house. Fitness classes are not for me. I like working out in the comfort of my own home at my own pace.
Have you ever tried Zumba? How was it for you?