thoughts on zumba




photo via

 In late January I started working out at the gym.  I've never been hugely active, and the prospect of running on a treadmill in Spandex in public while watching The Price is Right was not very appealing to me.  But when I found out some friends went regularly to a gym nearby, I used a free trial day pass and tried not to be too skeptical.  I found that the gym staff were very friendly, the people in the gym were all ages and at all different points in their exercising ability and I felt really good after working out for a bit.  The facility was lovely and expansive, featuring all of the equipment I could ever need and offering classes that are included in the price of membership.


one of the many moves that was just embarrassing to see myself attempt
photo via

 Which brings me to Zumba.  Zumba is one of the many classes I've tried since January.  After a kltuzy and embarrassing incident on the bike in my first Spinning class, I turned to Low-Impact Water Fitness where I couldnt imagine being able to pull off a similar feat (so far, so good).  I slowly built my confidence back up and added PiYo to the mix, and then Kettle Bell.  Last week, on a whim, I decided I was ready to give Zumba a shot.  I am one of the least coordinated women on the planet, which my closest friends can attest to based on seeing my moves (or lack thereof) on the dance floor.  But what I loved about the other classes was the that the instructors spent time with you to get the moves right, giving you pointers or having you mirror their moves until you started to catch on.  I did things in the PiYo class I never thought I could do, and I did them quickly.  I hoped to have the same experience with Zumba.  

PiYo--much more up my alley
photo via


 My Zumba class was packed!  Unlike PiYo, which is offered once a week, Zumba classes are offered every day, sometimes multiple times a day.  If I liked it, I'd be set.  I think this story might have gone a little differently (read: better) had I introduced myself to the instructor beforehand and admitted to her that I was uncoordinated and new.  However, I made it into the class with minutes to spare, so that was not an option.  When the music started I was so glad I didn't know anyone in the class but also wishing I hadn't picked a prime spot in front of the mirror.  While I'm sure it was helpful to see myself attempt the moves in the mirror and try to self-correct as needed, it reinforced how ill-prepared I was for the class.  I resembled a sleep-deprived sloth with a permanent deer-in-the-headlights stare.  Every once and a while I would stop to focus my whole attention on the instructor so I could take mental note of how she was moving her body.  This would be interrupted by the rest of my line going into a quick grapevine, which I'd have to quickly side-step to avoid being the victim of a Zumba grapevine stampede.  If that wasn't enough, the Latin-inspired sexay moves were about as unsexy coming from me and made me feel like a little girl sloppily applying her mom's red lipstick for the first time. Long story short--I think I'll stick to PiYo and Kettle Bell.  Luckily, not all was lost, as I stuck around afterwards for a sculpting class that I really enjoyed.  It will definitely make it into my workout routine.

Am I the only one who had this experience with Zumba?  Are there workouts that work better for you?