Zumba

I have, once again, joined a gym. I think it will be more successful this time than last time for a few key reasons. First, this gym is only a couple of blocks from my office. Since it's easier to get to and I don't have to go home first, I should be more able to go a few times a week. Second, the rates for personal trainers are low enough that I can afford to meet with someone every week. That accountability should help keep me on track. And finally, this gym very much caters to working professionals. There are a ton of classes that fit into my schedule perfectly.

One of those classes is Zumba, which I've been curious about for a while. I attended my first class last week, and I have to say that it wasn't entirely what I expected.

I grew up dancing, and knowing that Zumba is dance-based is what attracted me to it in the first place. But I've been trained to expect a rather specific format from my dance classes. We always had a warmup, followed by stretching, then dancing and learning routines with frequent breaks to drink water, watch another group, or just change the music. Come to think of it, this style is probably what contributed to my complete lack of endurance. I'm used to pushing as hard has I can for about 3 minutes, then taking a break to recover.

Zumba is structured much more like an aerobics class. There's no stretching. There's barely a warmup. And the exercise is nearly continuous for an hour. I did well for the first fifteen minutes. Then I thought I might die. There was no stretching, so my legs started cramping up from running the previous day. I had to take my own, quick water breaks when I needed them. And I had to stop doing every routine all out.

The good news is that the class is definitely a workout, and it will remain a workout for a long time. There's really nowhere for me to go but up. I just need to remember to stretch before class and pace myself so I don't burn out so quickly next time. The routines we did were fun, and I'm sure I'll get better at them over time. Between this class and a weekly session with a personal trainer, I should have all the accountability I need to get my butt to the gym regularly.