I decided to try something different for cardio today. I went to my first Zumba class.
I first saw Zumba being taught as a breakout session at one of my speaking engagements and knew it was something I wanted to try.
When we take a class for the first time we always worry about how stupid we may look or be afraid of not keeping up. These are natural feelings. Zumba is a great class for all levels of fitness. It’s just a matter of doing what you can and making the effort to keep up.
It’s my experience that anyone can quickly pick up the “moves” after attending 2 or 3 group classes of any type. I probably had 75{1ee8873d3da54571ef77633feec9b2f18618b0dba2f28faf42edb28003d1c6f7} of the moves down by the end of the class.
The instructor was very good. Her name was Jen and what I liked about her style is that she moved often throughout the class. She would constantly reposition herself so everyone could get the steps and moves down.
I’m guessing there were about 40 people in this class of which 5 were men. It was very clear and refreshing to see participants at ALL levels of fitness having fun in this class. It goes to show you, anyone can do it.
Since my knees aren’t the best, I was very careful with my foot movements. There were a few times when I just slowed down my movements. Sometimes I compensated with larger arm movements to keep my cardio rate high.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I believe that variety is the spice of life and when it comes to fitness you need to keep it fresh and exciting. Zumba certainly made it fun.
If you’re doing the same routine and you feel you need to “shake” things up. See what classes your local gym or recreation center may offer.
I’m looking forward to another Zumba class.
So for now – Cha, Cha, Cha:)
Heart Healthy Days Ahead for us all, Keith