ZUMBA like a boss

Happy 2013 everyone! If Facebook is correct, it seems like there are quite a few people making resolutions about health. That's great! I just want to remind everyone that is on a weight loss journey, that it should not be all about losing the weight (that is a short term goal), but about establishing healthy habits for LIFE (long-term goal). And if you're not on a weight loss journey, than I hope you made one goal to improve your healthy lifestyle. Never stop improving! There are "higher laws" to living healthy, some that we only discover as we become more knowledgeable about our body and what it needs.

One of my resolutions was to become more well-rounded in my exercise routine. I run A LOT. And while that's a great cardio activity, sometimes I feel like I'm neglecting the rest of my body. My legs get a great workout, but let's face it- my arms and (sometimes) core are left wanting. I want to strengthen those areas of my body, give them a workout. So I've taken up the most fun exercise a girl could hope for... ZUMBA!

Now I did ZUMBA with Robin a year or so ago at a YMCA. I cannot remember ever having that much fun while getting a workout. For those of you unfamiliar with the ZUMBA craze sweeping the nation (and yes, you must use all caps when typing it), it is a latin-pop style dance designed to get every part of your body moving and keep it moving! If you are a fan of dancing, you will love ZUMBA.

Most gyms will have a ZUMBA class that you can attend, and if you're already a member it's usually free. But, alas, I am broke. Even when I did it at the Y a year ago, I was bumming off of Robin's guest pass (thanks again Robin!) So I turned to the next cheapest, free-est option- the tube. Youtube. I put my kid down for a nap, cleared my living room, put on my sneakers and got my dance on.

I searched for "zumba dance class" and "zumba dance workout" and came up with a 12382372373 options. It is really popular guys. Since I wanted a video that was a full class, I looked for one that was at least 30 minutes long (at the Y, the class was almost an hour). I found one workout that was 50 minutes long, tried it out, and loved it. The great thing about ZUMBA is that you're almost guaranteed to love the songs, because they are upbeat and just generate happiness. So I am posting the link to that video here. And it doesn't hurt that the instructor of this class has an awesome accent.

The next time I used YouTube for a ZUMBA workout, I found out something interesting. Youtube has these things called "playlists". What they are is a bunch of videos made by the same person and they all show up under one title when you do a search. It's like when you made a playlist on iTunes- you have one title for the playlist and then all your songs found under that title. So when I searched Youtube for "zumba dance workout" I found playlists of 16-30 Zumba dances. Each dance video was about 3-4 minutes long (the duration of the song), so I kept playing videos until I had worked out for an hour. Click here for an example of a ZUMBA dance workout playlist.  You'll see all the songs/workouts on the rightside of the video screen.

In particular, my favorite ZUMBA videos are done by "grdancefitness" on YouTube. So search for "zumba grdancefitness" on YT and you'll find all her videos. I love them. And they even have a special video for warm up and cool down. Yay!

My advice for ZUMBA doers- 1) make the most out of your workout. You will see people in the videos and in classes half-doing the moves, not really putting much energy or effort into it. Do not be that person. When you jump, jump high. When you kick or punch, make it strong. When you skip or grapevine, pick your feet up. You will feel and see the difference when you put more effort into your dance. 2) Don't get discouraged if the steps seem too hard or if the instructor doesn't explain them, you're not alone. Most of the classes I attended at the Y had no instruction prior to dancing, so you were just expected to learn quickly. And you'll be amazed at how quickly you do pick it up. ZUMBA is easy because the choreography is a few steps repeated over and over again. So don't give up. 3) Keep every part of your body moving. If the step only requires you to punch your arms, move your feet anyway. If you're skipping around, make your arms do something too. This is how I ensure that every part of my body is being worked out sufficiently. And believe me, my entire body feels it the next day too!

I had to put this picture here, because I totally feel like it's me every time I ZUMBA. But hey I'm not ashamed! I'm a little white girl that just loves to get her groove on. Now you- go get your groove on too!