Tell me about your Zumba experiences

seltzermint555

I thought the music was absolutely horrendous from start to finish, so I didn't return. My friend loves Zumba and said she was shocked that I was better at keeping up than she was but I just hated it so much.

It was ALL about the music for me...I could not get over it. If they did something similar with music I'd consider "better", maybe I would return. I looked at a Jazzercise playlist and had the same kind of problem. I can't handle it.

parys1

I love it, too! It took a while for me to warm up to it, as it just zigzagged in no discernible pattern. I just wish it would fit into the corners better.

jessicagreen1828

You can always buy a $9 Zumba DVD at Walmart and practice first if you're nervous. Or even YouTube some basic Latin dance moves like salsa, meringue, cha-cha. It's so fun you barely think about how hard you're working! Some of the ladies let me use some baby-powder to put on the bottoms of their shoes so they can slide a bit easier. I was very nervous to take my first class but you gotta start somewhere!

SaintGiff

My cousin had one. It scared the hell out of his cat.

parys1

SaintGiff wrote: »

My cousin had one. It scared the hell out of his cat.

Oh! I have the cure for this. My cat was terrified of it, too, until I trained her to ride on it. Now, she loves it. Like a little captain piloting the seas.

amysteri

I tried it, it was fun!
How hard it is depends on the instructor and their choreography. Some keep it pretty simple to follow and others like to make it look like an MTV music video. You might want to ask the instructors themselves how easy the choreography is if you're unsure.

bjdavidson964

I'm a Zumba enthusiast! I've always loved to dance so this fits the bill for me. You can keep it low impact or go higher for more burn. I fit it into my fitness rotation at least once per week...along with jogging, lifting, and HIIT classes. It's my 'let loose, boogie and have fun' burn!!!

tuckerrj

Did a few Zumba DVD's with my wife and daughter. My other daughter invited me to a Zumba-thon at her place about 3 hours away. We went and had a blast for 3 hours. Sweated like crazy, but I still didn't think it was much of a workout. So we drove home and stopped after about 2 hours for dinner. I opened the car door and stepped out and fell straight to the ground. My legs wouldn't hardly function. I was okay after a few minutes, but walked kinda funny for the next 2 days. THAT'S my Zumba experience!

jlscherme

I took a Strong by Zumba class at my local YMCA. It is NOT Zumba at all! I was in for a shock when it turned out to be HIIT class to zumba music.

WendyLeigh1119

Although I'm pretty antisocial and only say "hello" and other niceties despite taking about 3 hours of different classes daily, that I actually push myself harder in classes than I do solo. When I'm exercising solo, my mind drifts off....I'm listening to my music....suddenly I'm toiling away for 2 hours to get the same thing I get from focusing on an instructor and trying to "keep up" with the pace of a group class. For me, I never EVER thought I'd like group fitness because I never engage in the social aspect at gyms.....but instead, classes have become a place where I focus on nothing but the moves and following the instructor and suddenly 1 hour or 2 hours or whatever is over and I've gotten in more than enough cardio and strength training for the day and the rest is "extra". I guess it depends on whether the group setting is more a distraction for you or a motivational tool.

The people who socialize in "little groups" annoy me, but I just set up my area and wait for class to begin and ignore them *politely*. That part really doesn't bother me enough to make the classes not worthwhile. The need to be there at a certain time, start at a certain time, do certain moves, etc (the "routine" I guess) of group fitness classes makes it easier for me to never slack off.

irma0502

I do zumba three times a week at home using DVDs. When I make up my mind to enjoy the music and dance with all my heart my pulse usually rises to over twice my baseline. The feeling of euphoria also helps to reduce my stress. I guess it's the combined effect of cardio and stress relief that has helped me loose weight with Zumba.