Or, how I learned to dance the salsa

Experiment is probably the wrong word to describe the exercise regimen I about to embark on a couple times per week.

Zumba is an aerobic workout that focuses on latin music and dance moves.

Zumba® fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exhilarating hour of caloric-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!

The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms, and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you’ve got Zumba®!

My fiancée first discovered Zumba and began taking classes locally. She enjoyed it so much that she convinced me to try one out. Mind you, she has been performing ballet, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop dance since a young age. My dance experience is limited to a handful of musicals during the high school years.

So I tried a Zumba class. I was sweating profusely and felt the burn by the end of the workout. It was loads of fun. Yet I lack the rhythm and coordination for some of the moves. I did not go to another class.

However, my fiancée continued with the classes, adding several workouts per week and branching out to other studios going further and further from home to see what new moves were being used in the routines. Suffice to say, she had become one of the aforementioned “Fanatics”.

Now, I don’t typically write about anyone other than myself here, but it brings me to my point. My fiancée became so passionate about this workout that she became a Zumba Instructor. And that’s where we come back to the “experiment”.

Since my fiancée is an excellent instructor and will be teaching regular classes starting in September, I figured it was time to jump back in and learn the moves. Not only will I benefit from the exercise, but I will also enjoy learning latin dance moves from my love.

I won’t get any more sappy than that, but I am proud of her accomplishment, and I’m excited to see her classes take off as people discover how much fun this type of fitness can be. As for me, I am going to see how my rhythm develops over time and remove the clumsy from my feet.

I will post updates here as I go along, and perhaps even a picture or two for laughs. If there’s a Zumba studio or class in your area, I highly recommend you pop in and try it.

Be well.