Zumba Newbie

btown_mija254
btown_mija254 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ive recently bought the Zumba fitness dvds but im consiidering selling them already. Ive tried doing the workouts but i feel like im not doing them right and i have no rythym so it makes me stupid so i just give up & turn it off. Any tips on how to help my problem?

Replies

  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Pick a DVD.

    Play it while doing toe touches (step to the left, bring the right foot over and tap the toes.; step to the right, bring the left foot over and tap the toes)

    Whenever a move feels familiar, join in. If you get overwhelmed, go back to the toe touches.

    Repeat until you get the hang of it!

    If you enjoy the music, keep the DVDs and give it a try!
  • bandomom13
    bandomom13 Posts: 7 Member
    There is no comparing to doing a Zumba Class!!!! I am so addicted. I too am NOT a dancer, so when I joined last May, I was unsure. I am soo hooked I Love my Zumba class. Just goolge Zumba classes, they are everywhere! Even at my church. I love how I feel after the class, less stressed, more energy. Kids know that when Mamas Happy, everyones happy. Hope u can try a class..
  • HealthyWarrior
    HealthyWarrior Posts: 394 Member
    I absolutely love Zumba. I attend Zumba classes when I can and I also have some Zumba dvds and I do Zumba on the Wii. Coordinated I'm definitely not but its a fun calorie burn
  • btown_mija254
    btown_mija254 Posts: 2 Member
    Pick a DVD.

    Play it while doing toe touches (step to the left, bring the right foot over and tap the toes.; step to the right, bring the left foot over and tap the toes)

    Whenever a move feels familiar, join in. If you get overwhelmed, go back to the toe touches.

    Repeat until you get the hang of it!

    If you enjoy the music, keep the DVDs and give it a try!


    I enjoy it but instead of actually dancing im just doing the steps, i dnt even move my arms even when its apart of the dance
  • Jamcnair
    Jamcnair Posts: 586 Member
    I second trying a class! It's so much fun and there are all levels in there--
  • ariadnebcuervo
    ariadnebcuervo Posts: 1
    Just dance as if nobody is watching you! Shake it !! who cares? Cheers :)
  • squeakyfish
    squeakyfish Posts: 109 Member
    I've come to the realization that zumba is not for everybody. I did wii zumba a few times and hated every minute of it. I don't enjoy that kind of dancing at all and I looked silly and uncoordinated, but mostly I just didn't have any fun. Also, I think felt like I burned off about 3 m&ms worth of calories because you actually have to be able to sort of follow along to burn some calories. I've looked in at a couple of classes, and I see all the people who love it, but that's just never going to be me. I would much rather go do a kettlebell class, or spinning, or pull my own fingernails out ;)
  • TakinSexyBack
    TakinSexyBack Posts: 300 Member
    I too couldnt "get it together" with the DVDs or Youtube.........I am in a live Zumba class at my local YMCA now and I have found it VERY easy to learn the moves when you have a real instructor (and real people in front of you you can watch and copy). It was not anywhere near as hard as I thought it would be to catch on!!! And if you are lost, just MOVE your booty.........thats ok too!
  • mandaboooo
    mandaboooo Posts: 4
    I bought zumba core for that exact reason! It tracks your steps and estimates how many calories you've burned! I know it's not accurate, but from what I've researched, it's pretty close! They don't do zumba in our town a whole lot, so buying the game saved me money and I can do it whenever I want! I love it!
  • OceansForever
    OceansForever Posts: 221 Member
    I just did my third zumba class last night and I am still not really having the hang of it but I just jump and hop along. As soon as I move my arms, I mess up the steps. I felt really silly after the first time and it has been getting better. I look at it that way, it's a nice way of exercise. I like music and I like to dance and I need the exercise and this kind of combines it. I doubt I'll ever be a Zumba nut and still don't really care for some of the odd arm movements and like I said before, I usually end up doing with my arms something completely different.

    At the end you must enjoy it. If you don't, just don't do it. There are tons of other exercises. I only started doing it because it was too cold and icy to run outside. Since it is only once a week for me, I'll keep it as something to loosen up my running program I am hopefully going to start again soon.
  • TrevorFL
    TrevorFL Posts: 5
    I dance Zumba at my local Gym. I am really new but so far I like it. I sweat like crazy and wear a heart monitor. My average calories burned for an hour session is between 750 and 840. Depends on the instructor and how strong I feel while dancing. For me it is really worth it.
  • SammyKatt13
    SammyKatt13 Posts: 124 Member
    I bought the DVD's when they first came out, did all the workouts once and thought they were all boring. I have gone to a couple different classes as well, they were a little better than the DVD's, but I still didn't enjoy them.

    These were my problems with the classes I went to:
    -WAY to packed
    -a lot of REALLY big women wearing VERY little, yes I know its hot and its hard, but please dont wear clothing thats too small, or meant for a skinny teenager to wear.
    -bad instructors, not explaining the moves in ANY WAY!
    - instructors that are CLEARLY just doing it for the money


    Things I liked about the classes:
    - the really cute old men and women in the back and corners of the class working out, I seriously wanted to just hug them all the were so cute and yes, had NOTHING to do with the workouts, I just thought they were adorable!
    - They were free (I had passes)
    - .... yeah, I guess thats it really.
  • ThePinkPenguin
    ThePinkPenguin Posts: 138
    I like Zumba, but don't necessarily love it. There are some of the routines I can do in my sleep, then others I have a little bit of a harder time catching on. It just depends on the song/steps, but I decide to always try my best and never stop moving. Even our teacher makes mistakes once in a while, so I figure no sweat if I'm not completely perfect. :) I would go more often, but my gym charges $1 per class if you're a member (which I am), so that can add up if I spend a few dollars on classes every week.

    Sometimes in class I get almost stepped on (or actually stepped on) by someone in front of me who isn't watching where she is going, so I always try to keep my eyes open so I don't do the same to someone else.
  • SophinMaine
    SophinMaine Posts: 48 Member
    I think it's much easier / better in a class. Try a bunch of different classes, because fun and quality really depends on the instructor. Some classes are easy, some are challenging, some are boring...I'm lucky that I found 3 zumba instructors near me that I really like. Great workout!
  • scwilson38
    scwilson38 Posts: 104 Member
    I purchased the Zumba dvds and have done the classes. I love doing the dvds at home better than the class. I stick to one cd. Learn the moves. Do what I can and then work until I am on their level. I will switch up cds for something different but if I feel like its too much I will go back to make sure I get my workout in. At first I was very slow and just watched them until I got it which didn't take long. Good Luck.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    I figure I get more calories out of flailing around than I would actually mastering the steps ;)

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