Baiya!!

Okay, so the basic rule for weight loss is: eat less, move more. Well... easier said than done, right? Traditional workouts, while effective, are BORING, and I have exercise induced A.D.D. There are physical activities I really enjoy (mind out of the gutter, please, this is a PG blog!). I love anything competitive. Volleyball, softball, anything. Give me an opponent, and I will play and move to the best of my ability, for as long as I have to, until I win (it's a Measley thing). More recently, I have discovered a love of dancing. I feel so much joy when I'm dancing; it's less like work, and more like fun and freedom. Well, I can't dance in my living room, and I surely won't dance in the street, and it's awfully hard to play volleball or softball in the snow.

Whose idea was it to make resolutions in the winter, anyway?

Well, I thought I was doomed to endless treadmill and elliptical workouts, going nowhere fast, nothing to look forward to, and no gratification until I hit the scale. I can do these machine workouts from time to time, but I do need to mix things up a bit, because if I'm constantly bored, my resolution would be DOA. Thank God I have incredible friends. My dancer friends told me about Zumba. Well, they didn't tell me so much as rave to one another about how much fun it is and how intense it is in my presence. So I went to the Y, and I signed up for a class.

I was so nervous when I walked in. I have such a fear of the unknown, and I was doing it by myself. I placed myself towards the middle of the class. In walks our instructor, an incredibly energetic Polynesian GODDESS. I took one step backwards. She begins to explain that Zumba is a latin based dance work out. Latin based? As in, hip shaking? Sweet fancy Moses, if I shake my hips, I'll knock someone out! I took another step backward. In her particular class, she said, her music is inspired from pop music, Indian music, Latin music, and hip hop. Her choreography would include some hip hop inspired steps. Um... hip hop?? Hi, I'm a country girl.... I tried to take another step back, but I was against the wall, and the door was all the way at the front of the room. There was no escape. I was going to have to take this embarassment like a woman. Perhaps I could hide behind someone, so that I didn't have to watch myself in the giant mirror.

She starts the music, she explains what we're gonna do, and we go. There were songs I knew! There were moves I could do. There were moves I couldn't do, but neither could the people next to me, and after a few attempts, we were finally able to do something vaguely resembling a "booty circle" (if you stood far back, and squinted). Oh, it was hard!! My legs burned, but my cheeks hurt, too. They hurt.... I was smiling! I was smiling the whole time we were moving! And that was it. I was hooked. I am hooked. I am obsessed with Zumba! Now, I take two classes a week, and can safely stand in the middle of the class, and still laugh at myself and everything I mess up.

Dance, of any kind, is so freeing, and it's such an intense workout. But when I'm done, I'm flying. And I felt so incredibly good about myself today for having been there yesterday, and now I can't wait to go tomorrow.

I would recommend Zumba to anyone, despite their level of coordination, or even their rhythm. You'll work, and you'll feel great for it!

Baiya!!