Zumba? And what else?
 

Hey all, I'm new here and on my weight loss journey (although I lost weight in the past). I've been doing zumba x3/week and each class is an hour. What I like about it is it's fun...something I really enjoy. Does anyone else do zumba and/or know if it's effective? I know there are some in my class who have lost a lot of weight and look great and some who have the hanging skin look. That brings me to the other part of my question. Can anyone recommend what type of toning/strength training exercise I can do in addition to zumba and how much? Thanks! I really like this group so far.. I looked at some before and after pictures and they're so inspiring!

Zumba is great fun cardio. Check out Fitness Blender on you tube for some resistance workouts that will build muscle to keep your metabolism humming and skin tight :)

I love zumba, i got zumab rush for xbox kinect recently and it has really kick started my weight loss and i joined a gym today that has zumba 4x a week and i am so excited to get in there and star taking live classes. i think it is so effective i feel so much more confident now that i have started and so much healthier(:

Zumba is super fun :) Glad you found something you like!

Depending on how much weight you lose and your age, it can be difficult to avoid getting loose skin. To help minimize it you can lose the weight at a healthy pace and take up weight lifting.

While you may not be able to avoid loose skin entirely, weight training will probably ensure that you have less than you would have otherwise.

"Sweat is fat crying" - I've never seen anyone NOT sweat at Zumba ;)

Second everyone's recommendations to lift weights. 2x a week has yielded AWESOME results for me. Other fun exercises I like: hiking, jogging (not fun by everyone's standards), going on epic walks (e.g. walking to another city and taking the bus back).

Hey Krampus :wave: I like the idea of epic walks....do you wear sneakers? walking shoes? do you bring extra socks?...

Hi Exhale15 - I generally wear sneakers of some sort. I walked from my parents' house to downtown Albany (12 miles) in running sneakers and felt totally fine. Walked 7 miles from Troy to Albany in Keds and didn't feel great. Comfort is key. No extra socks needed - unless you're walking more than 4-5 hours I wouldn't imagine.

Love it !

Depends on how much your feet sweat and whether you're blistering, I'd think. Special spendy walking socks sound like complete acai berry/rasberry ketones/MLM BS, true, but they really do make a difference when you're covering distances that are more akin to exercise than daily activity/transportation. Unfortunately the best way to figure out that maybe you need them is to get blisters wearing your street socks.

That's absolutely possible and should be taken into consideration!

I should add, I wear extra thick socks when I walk because I have super narrow ankles and tend to "walk out" of most shoes.

I remember when I was walking a lot a couple of summers ago, I'd bring a change of socks for the walk home - it was refreshing. I recently got a pair of rykas that I think may be my best sneakers ever, and I've been feeling really good, so I think it's time to get back to 'long walk' Sundays.....