Zumba!
 

So about 4 weeks ago I discovered the wonderful world of Zumba. Has anyone else tried it? It's cardio dance based on Latin/Salsa moves and it's SO MUCH fun! I am just wondering if there are any other Zumba obsessed folks around here... and if we might be able to share what songs work! :)

I've done the DVD, but not the classes. I loved it! It was definitely fun :)

I haven't tried it, but I would like to... it was just yesterday that I was on youtube.com checking it out. The Gold's Gym near by offers it, and I am into live in person classes, so I'll let you know what I think of it.

Yes! I love it! I go to New York Sports Club and we have a class on Tuesday nights. Also, the teacher who teaches that class plus another area instructor do some classes on the side and tomorrow I am attending a Zumba master class.

I have to say it sure looks like fun! I don't think my schedule would let me go to a class, so I'm hovering over buying the dvd's....

cuppajoe

Nancy- Let me know how the master class is. Good luck :)

Everyone must try it. It's simply so fun. Although I tried to go to a different YMCA for the class on Friday night than I usually go to and it was significantly different and I definitely didn't like it as much. So I think that taking the time to find a great instructor is definitely worth it!

The class was good - honestly not ALL that different from a normal class. The instructor does really make it though. There are two instructors in our area - one is fabulous and the other is just ok. I think they are both really nice, so I feel a bit bad saying it, but one is so great at cuing and she moves like a dancer while the other is still fun but ends up having more of an aerobics feel rather than dancing.

I've been thinking about trying it out. My gym offers it as a class.

Vertigo- I would really recommend trying it out. Of course, you'll want to find a good instructor who makes it fun. The woman at the YMCA I go to, Tracy, has such a good time with it and fuses it with hip-hop dance. Sometimes though the fun is what you make of it!! Let us know how you like it :)

I've started going a couple of weeks ago and it is fun! I love the music and the beat - I pretend I am a Brazilian hottie doing the samba at carnival!! (a quick glance in the mirror blows that fantasy out of the water unfortunately :o )

I'm glad I tried it!

I go to Zumba classes whenever I can fit them in. They are so much fun. The instructors at our Y crack lots of silly jokes that makes how silly I look bearable. There is lots of laughing during our classes. I love the energy and the mix of all ages too. I am a bit old for this so I really have to tone it down to last the entire hour and not kill myself, but it is really fun.

I tried a class and honestly, I really didn't like it. Largely that was due to the instructor - it was the type of class where nothing is explained, the instructor just goes in full-speed and expects everyone to keep up. I was continually behind, couldn't figure out what was going on, and the instructor didn't seem to care. Not a good experience.

I absolutely LOVE Zumba!

I started the first of January between Zumba and eating healthy I've trimmed 2" from my hips & bust. Woohoo. I actually love it so much I'm aiming to be at my goal weight by October, and get my certification for Zumba in early 2012 :carrot:

I really enjoy Zumba! I've been going to classes for about 6 months and it is really entertaining. The hardest part is just trying to learn the steps, but once you've done it for a few weeks you can really get a great workout in.

Next Monday, I have an appointment to visit a local fitness club for my free trial membership... I saw on their online schedule that they offer zumba classes... I think I'd like to try it... IF it doesn't cost more than I'm prepared to pay to join the club... for sure, the zumba classes are something I'm gonna ask about... sounds like great fun, plus a great workout...

hugs :hug:

I have tried it with some youtube videos, but I would really like to take a class. I am just so uncoordinated, and I think I would make a fool of myself. Maybe I will get the courage to try it eventually.

im OBSESSED with Zumba. LOVE it!

I'm taking a Zumba class about once per week at my gym. Even though our instructor does virtually the same routine every class I'm still enjoying it and not bored! Plus the more familiar I am with the steps the more effort I can put into moving around and the higher I get my heart rate. I plan to keep attending and maybe get a DVD for home use. The music is really fun.

I go to Zumba twice a week. I don't like the treadmill or running, so this fits me perfectly, since I like dancing better. Plus, my calorie counter tells me I am burning 800+ calories everytime I do Zumba for an hour. Totally love it!

I just got the Zumba for the Wii and I love it, makes me start sweating immediately. I live too far away from anywhere that has classes.

I keep hearing really good things about Zumba and would like to try it. However there isn't a class nearby, do you think it would be possible to get the full affect of it by using videos?

Attempting my 1st Zumba class at local gym tomorrow morning.

I'm terrified!!! :o

I do Zumba three times per week. I love it! It is really fun and I burn around 550 calories. Sometimes I don't realize that I'm exercising

I've been dying to try Zumba. I live in an apartment that has a dance studio right next door and they offer classes twice a week. I want to go so badly since its 2 seconds outside my door but I'm scared. All the girls look super fit and its really intimidating. Also, I moved recently and have no friends in my new town. I'm really nervous to go by myself. I see alot of girlfriends that go together and I don't want to feel awkward by myself. Does anyone do Zumba solo? Good or bad experience? I would love to get up the courage and go, hopefully meet some friends too.

I am a zumba nut! My gym has classes 3 days a week and I go all 3 days. It is crazy fun.

Originally Posted by citizenpeace:
Attempting my 1st Zumba class at local gym tomorrow morning.

I'm terrified!!! :o

Hey there! I'm going to my first zumba class in 2 days and I'm also terrified. How did your first day go?

Originally Posted by Smashley:
I'm really nervous to go by myself. I see alot of girlfriends that go together and I don't want to feel awkward by myself. Does anyone do Zumba solo? Good or bad experience? I would love to get up the courage and go, hopefully meet some friends too.

maybe you'll make some friends there? :)

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! :D

Originally Posted by Smashley:
I've been dying to try Zumba. I live in an apartment that has a dance studio right next door and they offer classes twice a week. I want to go so badly since its 2 seconds outside my door but I'm scared. All the girls look super fit and its really intimidating. Also, I moved recently and have no friends in my new town. I'm really nervous to go by myself. I see alot of girlfriends that go together and I don't want to feel awkward by myself. Does anyone do Zumba solo? Good or bad experience? I would love to get up the courage and go, hopefully meet some friends too.

I was nervous to go by myself too and I went with a friend the first time (which was Sunday). However I will say that I saw lots of people there by themselves. I'd go by myself without a second thought (and will be doing just that tonight).

Originally Posted by Jinksie:
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! :D

Yes! the more you do it, the easier it gets! Keep practicing!

Originally Posted by Jinksie:
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! :D

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

They offer Zumba around the corner. Classes are $15 a month. I'm tempted but i'm uncoordinated and terribly shy.

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.

Question to all of you Zumba-ers out here:

Do most Zumba classes follow a particular set of routines? Or are they all choreographed by the teachers?

Thanks :)

I loove zumba!! I have it for xbox kinect and I do 20 mins everyday.

Originally Posted by Kaspara:
Question to all of you Zumba-ers out here:

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.

Zumba carrot! :carrot:

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.