Tell me about your Zumba experiences

Jdismybug1 wrote: »

I think for me it will get fun once I've learned some moves. I tried again tonight, not as challenging as yesterday. I used to belly dance almost 10 years ago. It's obviously very different, but I think I'm going to like it.

I took belly dance lessons for a bit, and I found that it helped me with Zumba more than I thought. Even marching band, all the way back in high school. If you can find the beat, you'll be okay. Everything else just takes practice!

I take it you're doing this at home by following Youtube videos? Have you found any you've really liked?

I mean, if it works for you, keep doing it.

It was NOT for me. I prefer higher intensity cardio for my cardio (I mostly run, with a bit of cycling) and so it felt like spinning my wheels a bit. Plus I'm not particularly coordinated so I look like a dingus dancing.

I've taken a few dance classes, some yoga, even hooping, and several different types of group fitness and overall I just don't think I'm a group exercise kinda person if the goal is actual exercise. I like taking a drop-in yoga class or a short session of dance classes with my friends but it's really for the social aspect. For fitness I'd rather be on my own, focused on myself and pushing myself independent of anyone else...plus I feel like an hour's run is a much harder workout for me than an hour of Zumba or whatever, no matter how hard I try to push myself. I dunno what my issue is but there you are.

I didn't enjoy it. I just couldn't keep up with the moves, I'm pretty uncoordinated that way. I'd rather an elliptical or treadmill and some headphones.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.