Saturday 10 September 2011

Zumba Zumba!!

Well, the momentous day has arrived. Months, nay years, after the rest of the world has embraced Zumba, I finally make it to a class. I went yesterday lunchtime with 2 women from work who had also, amazingly, not been to a Zumba class before. One, about my age, tall (6 ft odd) model slender in a pale and interesting, wraithlike, manner and somewhat fey. The other, young (20's for God's sake) yummy mummy of 2, dancer's physique, slender, fit, toned...gorgeous to be honest....sigh.... It was not a promising start but I gambled that my sheer energetic enthusiasm would blind them to the likely sweatfest and my general lack of fitness.


As it happened, it was not too bad. The steps weren't toooo difficult to pick up after years of aerobics, step, body pump etc etc. If I couldn't quite get it, I just dropped the arms and wriggled in the approximate direction. I didn't find it exhausting at all. I was very sweaty round the head and neck, but that is my personal curse which I have long made my peace with. I felt as though I was working but not working really hard. It was, what's the word, "moderate" perhaps. I'm not very good with moderate; it's not really my scene. I tend to like to know that I've pushed myself to the limit and be able to feel my muscles screaming.


That said, I enjoyed it and it flew by. It was not painful in the way that Pump class is. I did not want to weep. I liked the music - latin, reggae, afro, salsa, samba etc very joyous. The sound system wasn't up to much though - I could have done with a bit more "ooomff". The teacher was a short, stocky black woman who could really move - I caught her smirking (in a nice way) a few times at our collective efforts to shake our booties - but I didn't feel that she connected much and she didn't foster much spirit in the camp.


On the plus side, I have been reminded of my African youth and I feel a step closer to being able to perform in a gangsta rap video! There was lots of hip rotating, bottom slapping and general wiggling of backsides. I'm told that other classes are totally different - some more complicated, some more rap/hip hop oriented, some more latino. it was also nice to see a really broad range of ages, shapes and sizes taking part.


I will definitely go back and might try to find a different class for contrast too.


But I won't be giving up on my swimming or Pump.

4 comments:

Seren said...

Hmmm, I, too am one of the few people left who have not embraced Zumba, mainly because whenever I do a class which involves a lot of choreography I spend so long trying to get the moves that I don't feel as if I get a proper workout. Your wriggling method sounds like a way forward though :)

Have to say, I thought of you while watching the launch show of Strictly last night - love the lovely ballroom dancing!

Sx

Peridot said...

I did it once and thought it was pants but I understand that it varies massively from class to class - my mum LOVES it.

Px

Shauna said...

Aww man what a shame that the class was a bit meh! it is such a gamble with the ol zumba, some instructors really hook you and leave you soaked in sweat, others you feel like you've gatecrashed a Keep Fit for Grannies class :)

Pam said...

I've been wondering about Zumba.