Zumba da Bumba!

I always thought that I was a pretty good dancer- despite the fact that my daughters asked me not to do it in public anymore.  I thought they were just jealous of my disco moves and couldn't relate.

When I lost my job in 2013, the gym and doing ZUMBA® several times per week helped keep me sane. I not only lost 50 pounds, but I found a community of people (mostly women) that danced "like nobody's watching."   No judgment – just joy.

There are usually a lot of mirrors in those rooms where ZUMBA® occurs, and I can tell you that the first time I got a glimpse of myself getting my groove on- I completely understood why my kids asked me NOT to do “THAT” anymore.  I looked ridiculous, but it FELT SO GOOD! I felt like I had more "pep in my step" when I left the building!

My comfort zone is in the back of the room, and I never feel the pressure to know every routine. I don’t feel like I need to be dressed in the latest workout gear, or wear makeup.  Heck- sometimes I don’t even brush my hair!  I think the only expectation is that I enjoy myself.  It helps that I have an incredible instructor – Natasha.  She keeps us moving with her contagious high energy.

When asked what she enjoyed about ZUMBA®, my classmate Moya said -

“It’s an amazing rebirth of female energy every time I attend class with Natasha. The opportunity to unite with 50 or 60 other women unabashedly and creatively expressing their female energy/sexuality together is what gives me the energy to do the work I do; working with @ risk youth. You just do what you can in class whether it is jumping or pumping. Dancing without judgment, power on!

Yep… that about sums it up!

And here’s the BONUS-

• You will burn between 360 and 532 calories in an hour of Zumba.Y
• You get to listen to excellent Latino music-salsa, merengue, cha-cha, cumbia, mambo, and samba just to name a few. Hip-hop, reggaetón, belly dancing, flamenco, Bollywood and African music are also used.
• ZUMBA® is considered interval training. The hour workout uses fast-paced songs to get your heart rate working and slower songs for toning movements. Combining the two keeps your muscles and heart always guessing what's next.
• ZUMBA® does not discriminate. Age, race, gender – everyone is welcome .

It’s time to Zumba De Bumba!