Zumba?

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My friends have been inviting me to zumba now that our school offers it after school, and I'm tempted to go but I'm very self conscious about working out in front of people especially when I'm told I have to be okay with looking dumb...I'm also worried that I wont be able to do the entire class unlike my much more fit friends and that I wont be able to do it... Anyone here do zumba? If so, is it fun or do you just feel silly? And do you like it?

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  • sbee803
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    Zumba is awesome! It's so much fun. At first it can be difficult to find the rhythms and steps, but if you stick with it, you'll end up loving it! Especially if you're musically/dance inclined already. Maybe get a basic salsa motion down before you go...I wish someone had told me that beforehand! Otherwise, it's pretty easy to pick up on.
  • klkutz1405
    klkutz1405 Posts: 18 Member
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    I've tried Zumba several times and really enjoyed it. I'm actually trying to work the class back into my schedule. If you like to dance, you'll love it. Don't worry about looking dumb, if it was anything like the class I took there were lots of people who didn't know all the moves. And if you get tired don't be afraid to take a break, I had to do that too. :happy: Once you get used to it I think it's a really great low-impact workout and a fun way to work out with your friends.
  • rainyrain81
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    I love going to Zumba. I do feel you have to find the right teacher though. Some people make it more of a party while others I have found are kinda boring. Dont worry about looking like an Idiot we all laugh at ourselves in the classes. Its kinda party of the Fun. We all laugh and do silly things in the class. Next thing you know you have sweated your but off for an hour and you feel good.
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
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    Don't worry. Most people are so focused on what they are doing and following the steps that they won't even look at what you are doing. Definitely go along and try it. Just try to relax, have fun and keep moving even if you aren't doing the steps right. Remember it takes at least three times to even start to get the hang of it and the steps don't change very often so you'll just get better
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
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    It's a lot of fun! I was nervous to go at first too. Go with a friend and take the back row. I have the coordination of a newborn giraffe so some of the moves were hard for me at first but after a week ish, you learn the routines and it becomes really fun!
  • ssmlnmcjm
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    Its a GREAT time just try it. Whats it going to hurt??:smile:
  • brendacs21
    brendacs21 Posts: 180 Member
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    I have no coordination or rythm for that matter but i love it! i wish i could go more often but i cant. when i go everyone else is struggling like i am a few are pros but mostly we are all having fun and burning calories. The instructor tells us to just try and do it you dont have to be perfect
  • skinnychef84
    skinnychef84 Posts: 3 Member
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    I felt very uncofortable going at first, but found I really loved it. I am ferry shy, but i did have a little dance training so that did help. Anyone can do it though, my teacher says as long as you keep moving you are good. I usually find the people who are the regulars at watch them for the moves. Feel free to take breaks, I have found some teacher are a bit more wild with thier songs/moves. My teacher does the same songs week after week so you can get the moves down, with the occational radom song thrown in.

    Going back to being uncomfortable.... My current 24hr gym teacher is so popular that we do the class in the basketball courts. I got stuck at my first class there in front of the door a few rows back. They men on the weight machines right outside the door could look in and i felt like they were looking/laughing at me. I was horrified at first, then i told myself that i am there to do my hour and have fun. If they want to stare let them.... It now even gives me motivation lol.

    I do say sometimes you may look funny, but like someone else said everyone is usually worried about themselves. I treated myself to a couple personal trainer sessions and he know has me going three nights a week (two different teachers) with cardio for 1/2 hr - 45min before.

    Stick with it... You will fall in love. Hope this helped a little.
  • kramalicious
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    I love Zumba! I was out of shape and couldn't make it through more than half the class when I started, but each time I tried to make it through one more song.
    Our class is mostly ladies over 40 and hardly anyone keeps up with the instructor or does the same steps, but we all just keep going and it is a great fat burner. I have to do low impact everything with less twisting than most due to my back. My favorite spot is in the back row behind the teacher so I can see her feet and her cuing. It doesn' t really matter what you look like doing it, I hardly even look in the mirror while I am working out. I have a friend who started with me and we can both get through it all and have fun with the moves now. You'll pick it up quickly. Get the instructor to show you a few of the basic moves, they repeat some of them.
    It's a blast, GO!
  • katelynscupcakes
    katelynscupcakes Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you all for the positive input! I think I will definitely try Zumba! Quick question though, when you log it in your exercise diary what do you put? I just looked it up and the closest I could find was just Dancing, general.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
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    Thank you all for the positive input! I think I will definitely try Zumba! Quick question though, when you log it in your exercise diary what do you put? I just looked it up and the closest I could find was just Dancing, general.
    Dancing, aerobic, ballet, modern, twist. Although I get a much higher number from the game (Zumba 2 Wii) Then MFP logs. I can't believe any workout burns 1050 in an hour.. so I trust MFPs count.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    My friends have been inviting me to zumba now that our school offers it after school, and I'm tempted to go but I'm very self conscious about working out in front of people especially when I'm told I have to be okay with looking dumb...I'm also worried that I wont be able to do the entire class unlike my much more fit friends and that I wont be able to do it... Anyone here do zumba? If so, is it fun or do you just feel silly? And do you like it?

    Yes I do Zumba. I've been going for over a year now. I suck at it, but I have fun. I used to jog a ton as my form of cardio but I had to scale back from 4-5x a week to 1-2x now. I found out I had osteoarthritis in my right ankle and tiny broken bits of bone too. It was caused by being almost 500 lbs. for so many damn years. Zumba is a great way for me to get my cardio in and it's easy on my bad right ankle. I stick out for being a 6'3, 300+ lbs. guy there in a class of 25-30 women. I probably get laughed at too but I don't care. I have fun and mostly focus on the instructor to even have time to pay attention, let alone care what others may think about me. I do stick to the back row but I mostly do it because I don't want to obscure the view of the intstructor for other people attending the class. I use a Polar HRM and average between 900-1200 calories burned per hour.
  • castadiva
    castadiva Posts: 2,016 Member
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    Zumba is great fun, and the great advantage for the self-conscious (which sometimes includes me) is the realisation that most people are focusing so hard on following the instructor, co-ordinating themselves and getting the routine/footwork/armwork/rhythm right, that they have no spare time to think about anyone other than themselves! To be honest, I forget about potentially looking silly to someone else because I'm so focused on those things myself!

    Give it a try - it's a blast, and a really good cardio/physical coordination workout. I'd be very suprised if anyone else there had the energy or the spare attention to judge you:smile: