Zumba

dahkneeka

I just joined Zumba for the first time. I have seen it done, both on TV and in person.
What are your experiences like? Do you have 2 left feet? How can i expect to feel after class?

amylovescupcakes

I do Zumba at home! I want to join a class, but I'm super uncoordinated. I love it!

bellanena

I've done it like 6-8 times now. And at first I liked it and it was fun. But I felt like I was never going to get the moves down. But I am getting better and better at it. Stick with the same instructor, they usually do the same routines. Once you learn them you will get an even better workout too. Zumba rocks!

I was also worried about looking stupid, but seriously no one is watching you, they are all looking at the instructor. And everyone looks goofy!

Have fun!!

NoMoreFlubbering

I flailed around like an idiot, but it was super fun and everyone else was trying their best too. As long as you keep moving, you'll lose the weight you want. It was a great experience for me

Sheila_Ann

I've been doing Zumba for a long time. The instructor changes the class the first of every month. So for the first few classes we are all lost lol. But then you get the hang of it and have a blast! I wear my HRM and I can tell you that some days I burn a good amount of calories. It's a lot of fun and the hour goes by very quickly! I always feel good after class!

Have fun with it!

feltlikesound

I love Zumba, but it depends HUGELY on the instructor. Some make it a casual but fairly useless workout, others make it a calorie-burning, muscle-flexing, challenging experience. I like it because my instructor is great, incorporates real exercise like a lot of squats and lunges, etc. You also get out what you put in. If you work hard at kicking your butt, you will! You don't have to be co-ordinated to do it, and there is usually a wide variety of skill levels and body types. I usually have sore calves, if anything, the next day.

JoyaGurl

I Love Zumba! You might be a little off on the steps at first........but you'll get the hang of it. I think Zumba is a great cardio work out, but most importantly it is meant for FUN! Don't worry about doing the dance moves excately right, put your own spin to it and everything will be fine Best Wishes-

lpgriffin

LOVE LOVE LOVE Zumba ! I started it just over a week ago & I've lost 4 pounds so far. I tried the class but felt horribly uncomfortable so my hubby got it for me to do on the wii at home. It's great and is just as good as the class ! Good luck with your dancing !

Kelsbellz

Stick with it!!! You will love it. It is so much more fun than "traditional" cardio and that makes the time go faster. Just remember...no one is looking at you, they are focusing on their "moves" too. :bigsmile:

jodiem147

I've been going to Zumba weekly for about 4 months now, I absolutely love it! It's a change in the week instead of going on the exercise machines, and probably burn more calories. The hour goes by so quick because it's actually really fun - at first it's frustrating trying to learn the moves but the instructor does the same routines so you get to learn them and get better at them. Our instructor is fab, Zumba is really fun so I'd definitely recommend

geonbaeLeilee

I've mentioned this before, but Zumba is my favorite exercise! I am so uncoordinated, though! I flail more than anything, but it's fun! The first few days I did it, my legs hurt. Now I do it with two pound wrist weights, and I can see a difference in my arms. Just enjoy it, and as JoyaGurl said, put your own spin on it.

sassylm22

I actually loooovee it! i have both box sets at home and prefer them to the classes at the gym. you work up and nice sweat and have a whole lot of fun.

MellyGibson

I love Zumba, but it depends HUGELY on the instructor. Some make it a casual but fairly useless workout, others make it a calorie-burning, muscle-flexing, challenging experience. I like it because my instructor is great, incorporates real exercise like a lot of squats and lunges, etc. You also get out what you put in. If you work hard at kicking your butt, you will! You don't have to be co-ordinated to do it, and there is usually a wide variety of skill levels and body types. I usually have sore calves, if anything, the next day.

I actually AM a Zumba instructor - and I agree with this statement wholeheartedly (with one exception - "real" exercises. I know what was meant, but if your heart rate is up, you're sweating and moving - it's a "real" exercise).

Some instructors are more into the "fitness" aspect and will incorporate squats, lunges, etc. Other instructors are more "dancy" and will not include those moves, but instead you are doing more dance-steps. I've been to quite a few other Zumba classes and can tell you that in each and every one of them I sweated my bootie off AND had fun! I've yet to have a "bad" instructor, although I know they are out there.

At first you will feel uncoordinated and perhaps a bit "lost". I know at my first Zumba class I sure did - and I have a dance background!

Don't worry about it - nobody is looking at you (except the instructor, if they are good, to make sure everyone is safe). In my experience, though, nobody is worried about anyone but themselves - and you will be, too!

Just have fun and move. Even if you get lost or don't understand a move - MOVE!

MommaKit79

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE ZUMBA!!!!!! Yes, at first, you may be a bit uncoordinated but, everyone else is so involved with what THEY are doing, they wont notice. I thought the same thing when I started and stood in the back of the class. I HATED IT!! Once I moved up, away from all the "non-serious" folks, it was GREAT!!! And now, I have SO MUCH more fun!!

YES, try to stick with the same instructor!! I have gone to a ZUMBATHON (fundraiser) with a different instructor and they used the same songs but not the same routines.

MainahGirl

I've lost most of my weight thanks to Zumba! If time allows, I try to hit 5 Zumba classes a week. 3 regular, 2 Aqua Zumba. Love it!

Sheirai

I love Zumba, and while I agree somewhat agree with the detractors who say you can get a better burn other ways, I'm much more prone to exercise when I actually enjoy it, and to me, Zumba is a blast! Like others, I've found that the better I know the moves, the more of a workout I can get.And the instructor does make a huge difference. I was born with 2 left feet, but I love all forms of dance anyway, and I've found that the longer I practice, the better I get. It seems to me that my classmates are more focused on their own performance than on mine, than goodness! Zumba does seem to be accessible to a variety of fitness levels-there are some uber-athletes in my class, and also a couple in their 70s.

DinoAbs

Love Zumba, but I have to agree with a comment above - it depends largely on the instructor you have, if you're doing live classes. Some are high impact (like mine), others are low impact. Best to check out a few classes with different instructors if you can, and find one that best fits your "Zumba style".

I've been going to live classes for almost a year now and have an amazing instructor. So amazing, in fact, that she's inspired me to get my own Zumba license to teach. I go for my training on November 3.

I started out with two left feet (at least, I thought so), but the routines are designed to be easy to follow and fun. I know most of my instructor's choreography so well now that I can do them at home to a CD of the music without instruction, which is always nice if I can't make it to a class for some reason. I definitely feel like Zumba helped me develop some rhythm as well as helped me lose 33lbs.

The video games - The original game had some tracking issues with Xbox 360 Kinect, not sure about on Wii - but Zumba Fitness RUSH is much better. And they have a new CORE game being released next month as well, which I'm very much looking forward to. The DVDs are also fun and a great workout if you're more inclined for an at-home workout.

Good luck and Zumba love!!

tmauck4472

I go 4 times a week and even though my instructor is 8 months pregnant, she 's still awesome and she still expects the workout from you even though she can't work as hard. It's awesome. And I've noticed my arms and thighs looking better.

blessed678

I LOVE zumba period. I have averaged only going about twice a week, but my goal is to increase my attendance to four or five times per week.

Onesnap

I've been doing Zumba each week since April 2011.

Make sure to look up on http://caloriesburnedhq.com/zumba-calories-burned/

to calculate your approximate calorie burn. It's not in the MFP exercise list but this way you can log it to your journal (and select from that list each time you do it).

I'm a klutz and yet I love Zumba. You make it your own and no one in class cares if you are not spot on with the instructor. Everyone is just there to sweat and have fun. I've also known people where Zumba changed their life.

sportyredhead01

I went to my first class Friday and loved it.

It was actually a Zumba/Sentao class which involved jumps, squats and push-ups with a chair.
I'm the clumsiest person I know and can't dance for crap but I did it.

The instructor was awesome with the cues of which direction we were headed next or if we needed to spin or whatever.
My biggest fear was having to know a bunch of dance moves which thankfully I didn't need to know.

Have fun!

HMToomey

I have lost 40 pounds doing Zumba! I need something I enjoy and that I crave and that I can't wait to do. Zumba is my drug! I have psoriatic arthritis and I still do it, classes are a blast! I have been to a few instructors over the last year but I have one favorite instructor who has a fitness background vs. the dance background. She pushes us further and higher then we think we can go. There are times that I'll just be running in place and she's yelling to pick up your feet and oh look I'm doing high knees now, did you know you could do that? LOL It's just too fun for words really and that makes me want to go!

I second the poster who said they have choreo memorized that they can do at home. I have a playlist on my iPod entitled "Favorite Zumba Songs" it's exactly an hour long and I do that 5 days a week and then take 2 classes a week.

DesireeLovesOrganic

I love it too. The first week I looked like a newborn giraffe because I am lack dance coordination but once you get the routines down (they tend to do a lot of the same) then it gets a lot easier. It's fun and you sweat a lot! LOL

DesireeLovesOrganic

Oh and funny story. The first "zumba" class I ever took was Zumba Gold which I didn't know was for old people. So I get in there and I'm wondering why I am the only one not 80 years old. Haha! It was still fun though. I hope I am cool like that when I'm 80.

dahkneeka

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!
yay! thanks all for the advice, and the support!!

mommy3fit

Love Zumba!! I do it at home with the dvds and the Wii game. So fun and I sweat like crazy! You will burn tons of calories also.

MVY_

I have never tried Zumba but that's because I have two left feet and I am bad at dancing. :P

FlamencoGal

I LOVE ZUMBA!!!!!! I was going once a week to supplement my other exercise and it is soooooooo fun!!!!! When my schedule changed, I lost my class, but I am looking for a new one close to my house. My first instructor was so good, though, I'm a little apprehensive about starting with a new person.

Don't worry at all about the classes!! Everyone is in the same boat, and believe me, no one will be looking at you, because they are too busy concentrating on the moves!!

andream1976

I just started Zumba 2 weeks ago....tonight will be my 3rd week/3rd class. It is a little intimidating at first, but really, all the moves repeat themselves eventually so after you do it a few times you'll get it down. I've found that I enjoy it a lot and that hour goes by super fast! I'm sure I look ridiculous at times, flayling all around, but I don't really care. I'm not looking at anyone other than the instructor (and maybe the person beside me just to make sure I don't run her over! LOL) Since my class is only held once a week, I went to youtube and booked marked a few zumba videos to do in between. It helps me to practice some of the moves and still get in a good work out. Good luck to you! You will do great!

UnstopableMother

I love Zumba i use the dvd work out at home every day I have lost 63 pounds with zumba. Before zumba I had tried everything diets different exercises no matter how hard I tried nothing worked then I got Zumba it has changed my life. Zumba works!!

sierralynn1015

I just went to my first Zumba class last week and I absolutely loved it. I've been to it twice now. The instructor made it really fun, and although I was worried about looking stupid, it didn't matter at all! No one is looking at you. I've done it twice and I've been really sore. The best part about Zumba is that it is so fun that you don't even feel like you're working out and you end up drenched in sweat!