I was so excited to try Zumba that I replaced my yoga practice that day just to go. I had heard so much great stuff about Zumba, and seen TV ads showing people having a blast. I even ran into a good friend of mine after about 1 year and she told me she had recently started to go to Zumba and loved it!Here was my problem with it.... As soon as the music began and we started to move it was like de ja freakin vu! 70's and 80's aerobic class all over again, and I hated dance aerobics....now Step, that was a different thing. I loved Step Aerobics! Anyway, back to Zumba.... It was loud, I didn't care for the instructor and I couldn't hear her call out the dance steps if she was at all....speaking of dance steps.... I like practicing a sequence before being thrown under the bus! And I have rhythm, girlfriend does know how to dance! Jump, jump, spin and shake...oh, and jump, jump some more. I do not like to jump. But I'm all for shaking my booty, just show me how to do it first!
I'm all about having fun workouts, I have a blast in my own classes (not that I'm biased or anything), but this was not fun for me, it was torture, pure torture. I kept thinking how I was wasting a precious hour, burning about 40 calories and not learning a damn thing. If I want to take dance classes I'll take dance classes. If I wanted aerobics...well I don't and I didn't. That being said, I can see how it could be fun and if it gets people off their butts moving their bodies then more power to them.
Zumba has been a great motivator for many people and many have had success in losing weight and getting more fit. For that reason I have nothing against it, in fact I may try it again sometime...but not for a long time!
Zumba lovers? Knock yourself out!
That was a good post and fun. you are right Mrs Reifkind
ReplyDeleteI hated Jazzercise...same reasons. Thanks for the heads up. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about it too, but I can't bring myself to try it. There's a new dance/workout trend called Ujam, same concept but with hip hop...my inner flygirl thinks that might suit me better than Zumba.
ReplyDeletei'm with you on this one too!i am way too much of a clumsy oaf and why bother!
ReplyDeleteAs a Zumba instructor, it helps to hear the things about the classes that frustrate people so I really appreciate your insight. It's tough to find that fine line between breaking down the dances and the technique for students and dragging things out. Sometimes people just want to move and not worry about the mechanics so much. Unlike kettlebell training, there's a much smaller change of getting injured in Zumba (aside from using poor form in squats or twisting an ankle) so there's not a whole lot of practical instruction in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I can't really picture you in a Zumba class. It doesn't really fit the bill of the type of workouts that you enjoy. On the other hand, if you like booty-shakin', sometimes it's fun just to show up in a class and dance around like a crazy person and not worry about how many calories you're burning. I hope you give it another shot (maybe with a different instructor) and let the booty cheeks fly!