Stop whatever you're doing and go take a Zumba class now. I don't care if you're recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, on an airplane or at the office. Oh, poor you. You have to "work" and "earn money" so you can "eat" and "not perish." LIES. You need nothing more than Zumba, and they didn't pay me to say that.
Zumba is a fitness dance class, sure, but it's not just a fitness dance class. It's loud and fun and makes you smile. My instructor at Move Studio, Michie, was so bouncy and contagious that if you took that class and didn't enjoy yourself you should donate yourself to NASA for research because you're clearly not of this world. The dances were easy enough for beginners, but if you didn't know the steps, you could just follow that obnoxiously good dancer next to you and do fine.
I know I'm outing myself as an aspiring geriatric, but in college I was totally into Jazzercise. Like own-the-T-shirt into it. But it came in handy. If you've ever taken Jazzercise or any kind of dance-aerobics class, you'll recognize a lot of the moves. If your dance expertise ended with the Macarena in junior high, here are some helpful tips I picked up that will make you love Zumba as much as I did (unless you're one of those NASA research subjects).
Tip #1: Get there early. You want to hog a good space. Make sure you pee around your area, too, so no one will enter it. (I'm kidding. DO NOT pee. Dance studios frown upon that sort of thing.)
Tip #2: Wear comfortable workout gear and cushy sneakers. There's a lot of jumping and bouncing so wear a sports bra, too. And if you have big boobs by all means call it Ba-Zumba. At Move Studio the floor is made of rubber so you'll feel like you're on the set of Space Jam, and this is the first time that is considered a good thing.
Tip #3: Bring water. Zumba is one hour of pure dancing. The moves are a mix of salsa, merengue, belly dancing and bhangra (South Asian folk dance), so all those fast-paced steps are going to make you sweat...like a beast. And you'll definitely want to be hydrated so you can sweat even more.
Tip #4: Have fun. You don't even have to consciously try to do this. You just will. The music is upbeat and makes you want to dance. Seriously, if you complete this class and don't enjoy yourself, check yourself into the morgue.
Tip #5: Go take Zumba now. There are tons of Zumba classes around Dallas, but visit Move Studio if you want to catch a glimpse of me in my Jazzercise gear. I'll be the one at the front of the class with a circle of pee around my feet.
Call 972-732-0206 or visit movestudio.com or visit zumba.com to search your area for classes.
