I'm not exactly sure when it started. I actually took my first class by accident. I was taking my kids to the mommy & me class at the Y like I did every week. But one day it hit me that I've been going to the gym and not once have I worked out myself. A Zumba class was scheduled after the mommy & me class and since I had no motivation to get on a treadmill I took it.
So every week after chasing my two kids through an obstacle course, I checked them into the child development center. That's when I had my me time of trying to learn some new dance moves while enjoying the latest Latin hits. It was a lot of fun and for once I felt good about myself actually working out. The past few years were all about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and "baby weight". Baby weight is actually an excuse of a term to call all the extra food you ate during pregnancy that you thought would magically come out of you just like the baby did but it didn't. It stuck around to haunt you and so you gave it a cute name instead to make it sound glamorous. So here I was with a one year old toddler and I'm walking around with "baby weight"...Where is this "baby" exactly?
So all was going great and I was starting to lose weight without really trying. I thought I had a good thing going. But then I found out my Zumba instructor was moving. I didn't really know her that well but I think I cried when I found out. I wrote her a letter thanking her and that her class really helped motivate me to start working out. But honestly, with her gone, I stopped going to the gym. Little did I know that her class was not just a class...but a movement!
It wasn't until Yvonne Boots started teaching at our Y that I realized this. She is our current Zumba instructor and she's probably the reason I got addicted to Zumba. Not only is she an awesome instructor but she is a pump wearing diabetic and has arthritis which she takes medication for. There are no excuses with her. Plus, she's not the usual intimidating size 0 instructor - She's human...like me! And she's in great shape and happy! Who doesn't want that?
I started learning all her choreography and got better and better. Finally something I was good at! Note this came at a time when I realized I am a good for nothing housewife who absolutely hates cooking cleaning and doing laundry mainly because I really sucked at it. But hey I was getting better at Zumba and looking and feeling better so at least I had that going for me! I started following Yvonne around. I found out she taught at another local Y so I attended her classes there too. Then I started wondering if these classes were being offered at other Ys and clubs and wow well there were classes everywhere! Everyone was into Zumba!
Currently, I'm taking about 5 classes a week in different locations and even have my kids taking a kids zumba class. Since starting Zumba, I've lost about 60 pounds so yes that "baby weight" is officially gone. What's great is that with losing weight I've started becoming more interested in what I do eat since my stomach gets upset every time I eat anything unhealthy. So I've started paying attention to nutrition and yes cooking, as well. Now if there was only something to get the cleaning and laundry taken care of!!!
Go to www.zumba.com for a class near you or contact me if you'd like to join me for a class!
PS: I do not get paid to market Zumba...I wish I did though!
