What I’ve Learned at Zumba®

When Jamal challenged me to take a Zumba class, I was skeptical, but I went. Here’s what I learned.

The main qualification for a Zumba instructor is to smile during the whole one-hour class.
It helps if you have rhythm.
Like dancing, Zumba is hard work.
Sometimes guys come to Zumba class and the ladies love them.
You don’t have to hop (high impact) like the young women.
Low impact (stepping) is fine.
The older women (like me) hug the back wall.
There’s great camaraderie among the classmates. You get to know folks and enjoy friendships.
It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you “do.”
No one looks great the first…or second time you take a class.
No one cares what you look like.
You can really change your body makeup—lose fat and gain muscle—no matter what your age.
Exercising, being active, can become part of your life.
Horseback riding is still more fun.

What is Zumba?

Wikipedia says that Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo.

The Zumba website claims: “We take the ‘work’ out of workout, by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Once the Latin and World rhythms take over, you’ll see why Zumba® Fitness classes are often called exercise in disguise.”