I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself doing Zumba!

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megz4987
megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I''m very interested in Zumba, it looks like a ton of fun but I am THEE most uncoordinated person on the planet. I fall at least once daily, over my own feet of course. I dance like an old woman to start with (I blame my mom for not getting me dance lessons when I was little).
I am afraid I'll break an ankle or twist my knee or something. I feel terribly old saying this when I'm only 24 but...

Anyone else uncoordinated and at least succeed in not breaking anything while doing Zumba?

Replies

  • wildeone4
    wildeone4 Posts: 204 Member
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    I would say try it out and just take it slow! I think you'd do just fine! I've seen some very uncoordinated people at zumba and they do just fine! You can do it :) At least try it once!
  • jluthersw
    jluthersw Posts: 31 Member
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    I fall alot as well but I have done a little bit of Zumba and it was TONS of fun!! I cant wait to do it again!! You can always take littler steps but you still use the muscles!!
  • blackdoggage
    blackdoggage Posts: 5 Member
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    megs,
    Just Do It...you will like it...the music and your instructor will get you pumped up...I've been doing Zumba for about 6 monthws and love it....I'm usually the only guy in the class but it's so much fun and you'll meet some great people...you can move at your own pace....Give it a shot
    H
  • djkymba
    djkymba Posts: 174
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    I don't know if you are just doing the classes, but if you can get your hands on the DVD set there is a breakdown of the moves in an instructional format. Maybe if you run through that for your first several workouts you will pick it up faster than trying to just wing it. ( you WILL still sweat ) You can learn, it just might take a little while...I never had dance lessons either and it's a challenge, but you're up for it!
  • Meggie_pooh
    Meggie_pooh Posts: 316 Member
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    I do Zumba for my Wii, so I feel less awkward....my 2 yr old likes to dance with me too! i felt stupid at first, but it has been working so far! II am 37 and totally UNCOORDINATED when it comes to dancing, but after a few days of it, u basically know all the moves!
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
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    I do Zumba for the Wii and just sometimes my daughter looks at me like I look more like I'm having a siezure than dancing. Dance like nobody's watching and just do the parts you can and do something else when you can't do the steps they are doing. It's a lot of fun. Don't miss out out of fear from trying. If you never get started you have already let yourself down.

    IF you would like to try something with less impact, you might consider water exerice classes.
  • Kalbright79
    Kalbright79 Posts: 65
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    Yes I am totally with you girl!!! I have done Zumba two times now and have not broken anything!!! I know it is shocking because I am very uncordinated and have no rythem - I am even embarrassed to be there but I say "Whatever - at least I am doing in!!" You can do it too - just try to go with the group but if you cant keep up dont worry about it.....also what helps me is to focus my attention on someone else that is doing well but not the instructor because they are too good and I get discouraged. YOU CAN DO IT TOO!! Have fun with it! Good Luck!
  • gmz1026
    gmz1026 Posts: 84 Member
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    I feel the exact same way! I want to take a class so bad, but I will most likely trip over myself. I bought the Zumba game for Wii to try to practice before taking a class. It is a lot of fun, and I get to do it within the privacy of my own home. I still feel embarrassed even with nobody watching me! LOL. I would suggest trying out a game or a dvd first and then moving up to an actual class. At least you will be a little more familiar with some of the moves and attempt to become more coordinated! :-)
  • monchand
    monchand Posts: 62 Member
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    slow down and just keep moving. There is alot of folks in my class that can't dance but they just keep moving and still get a workout. its the atmosphere and music that makes it fun.....I LOVE ZUMBA
  • rubyrenga
    rubyrenga Posts: 402 Member
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    I am the queen of being uncoordinated, and I took a Zumba class last year (quit bc we moved to a different area). Admittedly, I was behind or off on many of the moves, but it was still so much fun and of course, an incredible burn. I say do it!
  • vidalia222
    vidalia222 Posts: 15
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    At the first Zumba class I went to nobody seemed to be able to do it! The teacher just danced and looked at herself in the mirror for an hour totally oblivious to us all bumping into each other. I didn't return but realised it was the teacher and not Zumba itself. I have tried again and was still uncoordinated but the teacher said as long as you are moving and having fun it doesn't really matter. I just dance by myself at home now when everyone is out!
  • LovelySpirit
    LovelySpirit Posts: 66
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    We have all felt uncoordinated and weird looking. I posted a blog about my journey from the back of the class to the front that you can read in your leisure. I mentioned how when I started I felt like a lost puppy ricocheting off of my mistakes trying to learn the moves.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LovelySpirit :wink:

    I would suggest that you go to youtube and type in zumba choreo or choreography or "zumba class" and watch and work out to some of them at home in your own leisure and space, so that your confidence will grow within. :happy:

    YOU CAN DO THIS! :bigsmile:

    I just had a conversation with my mother yesterday (she's 64 and occasionally attends my Zumba class w/ me). She was saying she can't dance and feels uncoordinated. I told her.. WE ALL DID for the first week or two. TRUST ME.. now that I have moves down, I still do it my way at times and NO ONE is paying attention to how you mess up. :noway: The others in the class are trying to keep up and keep their breath, they don't have time to focus on you. :tongue:

    If you're committed to a FUN, Caloric burn, Zumba is the way to go!:love:

    2258857.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • tryandtryagain
    tryandtryagain Posts: 5
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    LOL...YES! I had to laugh when I read this post, because I am also extremely uncoordinated and dance like an old lady. And I even HAD dance classes when I was little. (So don't be so hard on your mom...lol.) I've just had many years of inactivity and quite a few more pounds added to my 5'9" frame since then. I dance about as gracefully as...well imagine a giraffe mixed with a hippo. I wasd was reluctant to try a live Zumba class, because, let's face it, I'm not sure how the world could take watching this much booty shake like that. But I really thought I wanted to try Zumba. SOOO I got the Zumba DVD set a few weeks ago and (after strict instructions to my husband and son NOT to watch) have done the workouts every day from the privacy of my living room. And I LOVE them! It is so much fun to do this workout that I forget how much time has gone by. And I end up after 45 minutes totally drenched in sweat. It is a challenge to learn the steps, but they do a great job of breaking down for you, and the DVD set includes a special instruction DVD, where they break the steps way down and teach them. That really helped me get started. And even now I don't do all the steps perfectly, but I can do them ok, and because it is interesting and challenging to keep learning, I keep coming back to workout! Win! I'm starting to love the Zumba DVD so much that I'm thinking of (gasp) finding a live class to try soon! One thing you should definitely do is make sure to have good shoes on, but shoes that don't have much grip on the bottom, like an old pair of workout shoes or keds or something, or even dance sneakers if you have them. There's so much pivoting in the moves that you don't want your shoes to grip the floor much or you might hurt your knee.Other than that, I say, with great feeling...go for it! If I can do it, anyone can!!
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
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    JUST DO IT.

    I'm not the most gifted person when it comes to dancing, but you'll get used the moves and soon enough it will become second nature. :smile:

    PRO TIP: Don't wear the "grippiest" athletic shoes that you own. Wear ones with the tread somewhat worn down. There is a lot of twisting and turning and if you're twisting while your feet are gripped to the floor (and not moving very much) you risk hurting your knees.
  • eates
    eates Posts: 334 Member
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    It took me a good 6 weeks before I felt even a little bit confident doing Zumba. Until then (and even now- almost 5 months into it!) I was pretty sure everyone was secretly pointing and laughing at my lack of coordination. I love it! I do regular Zumba 2-3 times a week and Zumba Toning twice a week.

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