Usually when I go to Snap Fitness, the gym where I’ve been a member for over a year, I have a clear plan. I jump on the treadmill for about 20 or 30 minutes, lift weights for about 10 minutes and then ride the stationary bike or do some abs.
My workout plans recently changed when I noticed the white board on the wall: Free Zumba class next Tuesday. The word ‘Free’ always grabs my attention. And with a few exceptions, I will go/try/take/eat whatever follows the word. For some time, I’ve wanted to try Zumba, the Latin-inspired dance workout for a while. It’s been all over the tabloids lately.
I recently read where Jordin Sparks lost 30 pounds by taking Zumba classes. She looks amazing! I know it’s important to switch up workouts so your body doesn’t get bored and Zumba sounded like the perfect solution. Tuesday evening arrived and I walked to the gym to meet Erin (the Zumba guru) and four other brave ladies who had never tried the dance class. Erin tells us that we will dance (work out) to three songs and then cool down. She walks us through a few steps that seemed fairly simple. We do the merengue, side shuffle, squats and some hopping and salsa moves. You actually never stop moving, so your body stays engaged the whole time.
Snap is not a huge gym, so everyone could see what we were doing, and the workout was (no doubt) very entertaining. It took me a minute to stop giggling. Shaking my booty and dancing around like Shakira in a room full of strangers is difficult, but once I stopped caring what people thought, I had a great time. Zumba is a full body workout, and due to the pulsing music and fun steps, you don’t even realize you are burning calories and exercising. About 30 minutes later, I was sweating and running for a cold drink every time Erin gave us the chance. The workout was such a good stress reliever, too – I was able to just let go (after the laughter and self conscience left) and dance.
At the end of the fat burning session, Erin passed out a sign up sheet for her next class. The free trial period was over – classes would now cost $10 per session and $12 for guests. Everyone in the class signed up for the following class, and when the pad was handed to me, I put my name on the list. Surely, a counseling session would cost more than $10 – Zumba made me happy without a prescription or an office visit. I decided Zumba would be my reward for certain things, such as skipping dessert for a whole week, being nice to strangers and keeping up with my household chores.
My best friend recently got engaged, so a dress fitting is in my future, and I want to be prepared. Additionally, I want to be a healthy and active person, and you really can’t put a price tag on that. The day after my first Zumba encounter, every muscle fiber in my body was sore. Erin warned us during the class that we would feel “it” over the next few days – especially in our abs. She wasn’t lying! I felt like I had ridden a horse through a sumo-wrestling match. My abs, thighs, calves, feet and shoulders were numb with lactic acid. And even though I was hobbling around like a little old lady, feeling the fruits of my workout was Zumba-licious.