ZUMBA-the gateway excercise

I mentioned in my introduction that I am a firm believer in finding an exercise that is fun for YOU—not your best friend or your sister or your co-worker…YOU! It is much easier to say, "I am going to have fun for an hour," than, "I'm going to work out for an hour," so go with that. And you won’t find that exercise until you try a few out.

So for you ladies who like to shake it—and let me tell you, this lady loves to shake it—ZUMBA might just be the exercise for you. Although I lovingly call it the gateway exercise, because literally ANYONE (regardless of their sense of rhythm or capacity to dance) can ZUMBA, it is a great cardio and strengthening workout.

So what is Zumba? The word "Zumba" comes from a Colombian word that means to move fast and have fun, which is just how people describe the routine. I describe it as the amazing cardio workout that resulted when hip hop and Latin dancing had a baby. But don’t let that scare you if you have never danced before. I had my time on the dance floor in clubs during my college years, but I was never a serious dancer and certainly never had any formal training. It only took two classes to really catch on to the core moves of the class (to be described and displayed below).

The best part is the music! I love pop, hip-hop, and Latin music, so jumping around for an hour to my favorite grooves is less of a workout and more of a party, which is appropriate, because the registered trademark of Zumba’s official slogan is, “Ditch the workout, join the party!”

Some of the most common moves are the Cumbia:


the Merengue


Salsa


and the Mambo


When you mix it all together with some basic hip hop moves, booty shaking, belly dancing, and core strengthening staples, you get something like this:


So here are my caveats:
There are some TERRIBLE Zumba instructors out there, so shop around. You can usually try out a class for $5, $10, or at the maximum $15 a class (any more and they are robbing you blind), to see if you like it before you commit to a gym or class. Some instructors stick more to the belly dancing aspects, which can be SUPER boring but good core work. Some instructors lean more toward the hip hop than the Latin side of Zumba music and dancing, so steer clear of those if you really want more of a Latin dance class. And some instructors are really just there to shake their butts and stare at themselves in a mirror for an hour. Avoid these weirdos at all cost.

Here is my shout out to Keri Meagher at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi HealthPlex for being quite possibly the most motivating, charismatic, dynamic Zumba teacher on the planet. She has mastered offering the perfect combination of core strengthening, pop, hip-hop, and Latin dancing this side of the Mason-Dixon. Being the amazing instructor she is, she always tells you how to do a basic move and the "powered-up" version for more advanced students; she SMILES the entire time while watching her students form to make sure they are doing things corrrectly; and she tells you how what you are doing is making you stronger. It is important to be aware of your positioning to protect your back, knees, and ankles while still working your abs. This is more than just calorie burning, people. If taught correctly, this is a serious workout!

So find a Zumba class near you here: http://search.zumba.com/classes/ and start moving!!!