Zumba! Beware of swinging booties!

Today I went to my first ZUMBA (pronounced ZOOM-ba) class! But it definitely won't be the last! Me and a couple of friends from the gym decided to give it a try this morning even though we weren't sure what to expect. It was a blast! We left asking when the next class would be! It is so much fun and an amazing workout. The best part of it is the fact that you are concentrating so hard on the moves, that your brain doesn't connect that you are exercising....OR thinking about what an idiot you look like!!! It was just FUN! We had our hips and booties a swinging big time. I have always loved to dance and so it was great to have somewhere to actually be able to dance! I wish I had taken my camera to get some shots of my friend Julie. She was really having fun and getting into it! I thought she was going to dislocate a hip or two!

Zumba is a lot like salsa dancing. It is Latin in style, with a little hip-hop and even a dash of belly dancing and hula. It reminded me a lot of the sexy dancers we saw while in Puerto Rico....complete with the tongue shrilling. It is fast sweeping the nation as the newest fitness craze. We had all ages in our class, the oldest probably about 65. Below is a short video I found on YouTube that gives you at least an idea of what it's like. The move they do at the very end is much harder than it looks! Our instructors were really good and didn't even laugh at us when we were swinging it the wrong way or let it loose! They told us that once we get the moves we are supposed to add our own flavor to it. Flavor huh? I wonder if there is a flavor called "trying hard, but still look like an idiot"? Maybe after a few more classes, it won't feel so awkward. We surprisingly kept up with their pace. I think they taught us six dances in an hour. It was definitely a good workout! I left there feeling like I had just done a double step class. Can't wait to go to the next one. I think I will sneak my camera in and get a few good shots! If you haven't Zumba-ed yet, you need to try it!

Demo of Zumba Workout (from YouTube not our class!)