did my first video today... some of those moves are hard! (i did the introduction and the 20 min)... do you get better at it the more you do it? cos they're telling me to swing and move my hips in ways i cannot get them to!
Don't worry about that ~ I can't get my hips to move the way my instructor moves hers and I've been doing Zumba for 8 months now. She looks all sassy and sexy and I look like an elderly person jarring my hips around. Not a pretty sight.
I am the MOST uncoordinated person on the planet and I LOVE zumba! Takes me a bit to get the steps but once they are down, LOOK out! I sweat like never before every single time. I've lost weight and inches and only go twice a week and have been since the 2nd week of january. It's changed my life! I wish we had more classes per week here but it's all I can get. Super rural area so I take what I can get. LOL
Zumba is my recent obsession. I was really nervous to start classes/thought I would be the only heavy/non-coordinated person there. My first class all of those fears melted away, especially as the first and foremost principle of Zumba is to have fun and keep moving. I am now hooked and go to 6 classes a week... I would do more, but the only extra classes are when I work.
Do most Zumba classes follow a particular set of routines? Or are they all choreographed by the teachers?
Thanks
Based on my own experience only - the classes do not folllow a particular set of routines. I have been to classes of 4 different instructors, one of them being my regular instructor and the other 3 were "supply instructors" when the regular one was unavailable.
The classes vary WILDLY from one instructor to another. Each instructor does her own choreography and each chooses her own music. I have done a lot of Zumba classes and to this day, if my regular instructor is not available and I know ahead of time that there will be aother, I won't go. I simply love my regular instructor and I cannot get used to the other ones (although one of them was fairly close in her style to the reg. instructor's style, so that was not so bad). One of the instructor used to do ballet in young age, and it shows in her style. Another instructor treats the classes more like aerobics classes.
So I think you can really encounter a huge range of styles. If you have a choice, go to a few different ones until you find one that you like.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Zumba, it's my favorite thing to do at the gym. We have a young Hispanic male teacher, he is the best dancer I've ever seen, half the time neither of his feet are on the floor! I would say this class has a high amount of hip hop dancing, which I wasn't sure I could do at this advanced age, but it turns out I could. If you get the chance try it, you will never realize you are working out so hard, cause you're just dancing!
If anybody knows a site to get wide width Zumba shoes, please let me know, I have looked and Googled until I can't do it any more. They just don't seem to make them, which is absurd.
Just wanted to chime in that I discovered Zumba recently myself. I started with the beginners DVD from our library, and once I felt like I was fairly familiar with some steps, I went to some classes. (you can actually find the beginners videos on YouTube as well)
I should add that before this I hadn't really exercised in over a year, and am just back on my weight-loss journey, and still over 200#. The classes are tough, but I just do what I can and have been thrilled that I could "hang" the whole 45 minutes or so.
I read online somewhere that Zumba instructors have to use a certain % of actual "zumba fitness" songs/choreography in order to call their class Zumba. Then, for the remainder they can do their own choreography if they choose, or just use the provided ones.
I bit the bullet and signed up for a local rec class here this week - 8 sessions, 30 women, 25 of whom had taken the class the last season. The instructor is 25 and does a lot of high-impact moves, but I just dialed it down to my own level. I went to the front so I could see and hear, and just didn't worry about what anyone else was doing. Honestly, everyone else was having such a good time and focusing on the instructor, that no one was paying attention to me flubbing up my steps, or just stepping when they were jumping!
And even if you mess up, just keep moving with the music until you catch up again - it's all about the fun and movement, not about being perfect.
I encourage everyone one who enjoys dancing at all to try these classes - they are so fun, you burn a ton of calories, and the time just flies by. If you don't care for one instructor, try another. Or get the DVDs and do it at home (make sure you have a hard floor to do it on - carpet can lead to injuries).
IRT shoes - I got Ryka Studio Flex Low shoes, and they are surprisingly wide. They didn't seem so at first, but I think they stretch because of being made of fabric. I wear a 7.5 W and got the 8M and they fit great - in fact a couple times I've had to tighten up the laces to make them more narrow. I got mine at shoebuy.com - sign up for their emails as they are always sending out 20% off codes - never pay full price there.
I've been looking into these classes lately. My main reason for wanting to try it instead of go to a gym is that I don't really know many people other than my husband and family, and no one wants to go to a gym with me. I just don't think I would stay at the gym and do anything by myself, too boring. For the record, I havn't exercised since 9th grade (roughly 8 years ago) and I hated it even then. I don't know what I should wear (help me -_-'). Also, does Zumba actual give you a difference in your weight? I've seen where everyone says it's fun and I want to try it either way, but I havn't heard anyone say they actually lost weight from it.
I am encouraged by what you all have had to say. I am WAY overweight and, until the last couple of weeks, my last workouts were 10 years, three kids and a bazillion pounds ago. To say I am terrified to show up for Zumba would not be an understatement. That said, one of my best friends is an instructor and she is always encouraging me to go with her to her class. I started working out at home with a personal trainer two weeks ago, and I keep telling Michelle that I will go to Zumba once I feel fit enough. Maybe I should just suck it up and give it a try because it sound like lots more fun than the time I am currently logging on the elliptical!
That's what I've decided to do, jump in and just do it, not care how I look. I'm not so far past my weight that I can't come back, but I get no exercise other than weights (I work in a woodshop that builds outdoors furniture, I lift roughly 20 50lb shelves a day) but I get absolutely no cardio. I hate walking, I dont like tredmills cause you feel like youre going no where and I dont like walking around because there's always that thought in my head that I still have to make it back xD
I've been looking into these classes lately. My main reason for wanting to try it instead of go to a gym is that I don't really know many people other than my husband and family, and no one wants to go to a gym with me. I just don't think I would stay at the gym and do anything by myself, too boring. For the record, I havn't exercised since 9th grade (roughly 8 years ago) and I hated it even then. I don't know what I should wear (help me -_-'). Also, does Zumba actual give you a difference in your weight? I've seen where everyone says it's fun and I want to try it either way, but I havn't heard anyone say they actually lost weight from it.
As for lbs. on the scale, I haven't seen any difference... but I am seeing a decrease in measurements, & that's really all I care about right now...
Quote:
Originally Posted by OakCliffMom
I am encouraged by what you all have had to say. I am WAY overweight and, until the last couple of weeks, my last workouts were 10 years, three kids and a bazillion pounds ago. To say I am terrified to show up for Zumba would not be an understatement. That said, one of my best friends is an instructor and she is always encouraging me to go with her to her class. I started working out at home with a personal trainer two weeks ago, and I keep telling Michelle that I will go to Zumba once I feel fit enough. Maybe I should just suck it up and give it a try because it sound like lots more fun than the time I am currently logging on the elliptical!
Listen to your friend!.. you won't regret it...
Quote:
Originally Posted by kma415
That's what I've decided to do, jump in and just do it, not care how I look. I'm not so far past my weight that I can't come back, but I get no exercise other than weights (I work in a woodshop that builds outdoors furniture, I lift roughly 20 50lb shelves a day) but I get absolutely no cardio. I hate walking, I dont like tredmills cause you feel like youre going no where and I dont like walking around because there's always that thought in my head that I still have to make it back xD
I agree about treadmills... I use one only to warm up before my workout with my trainer... as for Zumba, the leader in my class warms us up before we really get after it... then it's fun, fun, fun!!!..
I'm thinking of buying the Zumba Wii disk. Has anyone tried this? I'm interested in getting into Zumba, but there aren't any classes nearby and this is a much less expensive way to do it.
I took about 10 years of dance as a kid, so I'm hoping that I will enjoy this. I tend to HATE workout videos and the like. I've never felt comfortable in a class setting, so this seems like a good option for me.
They offer Zumba around the corner. Classes are $15 a month. I'm tempted but i'm uncoordinated and terribly shy.
Oh my gosh, I envy you! At my gum, Zumba classes used to be part of regular membership (all classes were "included"). As of a year ago, they started to charge hefty extra fee not only for Zumba but for some other classes as well. Unlimited Zumba is now $30 a month for gym members, a lot more for non-members (and of course, you cannot buy just one month, you have to sign up for 3 months at least). Individual classes are like $5 each for members, argh! I coughed up the unlimited Zumba membership because I seriously love it.
Don't worry about being uncoordinated - I thought there is nobody worse on the planet than me and even I learned the steps. Here, Zumba is hugely popular and every time there is a crowd. Don't think anybody will be watching you and laughing that you missed a step - everybody is way too busy having fun and making sure THEY get the steps right. Although I consider myself an experienced Zumba-er, still there are some step combos that I can't remember and I basically gave up on getting them right. I just do what I can and I don't worry about making mistakes. Take advantage of the low fee and GO!
