Monday, February 15, 2010

ZUMBA, What?!?!

If there was a hidden camera in our basement you would have wanted to tune in this evening at 8:30 pm to watch me, my husby and my mom work out. It was leg crossing, buckle over HILARIOUS as we made our first attempt trying to master ZUMBA Dance Party! You had my mom falling over at every hop step, Kenny marching instead of hip thrusting and me always a few steps behind. What a trio! So what is Zumba anyways?

Have you ever heard of Zumba? I had heard of it...like I knew it was dance related but didn't really know much more than that and had never seen it. So let me tell you a little about ZUMBA...

Not to be confused with Team Umizoomi which probably most moms are more familiar with these days, Zumba is an aerobic fitness program/cardio workout using Latin dancing. The music is based on salsa, merengue, cumbia, calypso, cha cha, hip hop and other music. It is very up beat and the dancers are beautifully fit and fun. (Ummm...not so much me!)

Dancing to work out sounds like a ton of fun, right? HA! ZUMBA was pretty fun BUT IT IS HARD! Maybe even harder than advanced step....SERIOUSLY! First it starts off at a fast pace and then then it is relentless, non-stop butt kickin' core and cardio action. Felt it full throttle in my hips, abs and calves. By the end of the first song I was beading sweat, huffing and puffing and looking for my water. Here is a YouTube Video I found that looks just like our dance trio...OK...not really because the girl is a sweet dancer and well, we have alot of work ahead of us...WoWa wait to you see this in action!



So what is our take?
1. Yes, we are going to do it again...maybe a couple times to get the moves down.
2. Don't skip the basics portion...you'll need it to learn the moves and build up to the harder stuff.
3. Have water close by.
4. It is an awesome cardio workout, one of the best we've done so far.
5. It forces you to use both parts of your brain.
6. It is hard but moves quick and you are not watching the clock so before you know it, it is cool down.
7. Zumba is a good couples workout, hard not to laugh at the husband with no rhythm, but ultimately that is why I think it is a GREAT couples workout...it is fun to laugh together while working hard AND learning to have smooth rhythm can only mean good things for a couple in love! LOL!

Give ZUMBA!!! a try and tell me what you think!

My weight loss goal...I have 45 stinkin' pounds to lose! Errr...some moms stay skinny during child bearing but I did not and it has been an ongoing battle since Lily was born! BUT no more having kids for me and my health is extremely important to me so it became time for me to get serious about my goals.

So far, it has been about 6 weeks and I have lost about 8 pounds, 1 pant size and I have a new smaller bra size. Now I have made many modifications but in the area of exercise, my husband, my mom and I have committed to 5 days a week. Having them on board has been a wonderful asset in that we have partnered up and workout together. We work out after the kids go to bed and Kenny is willing to work out to what us ladies choose...at first he grumbled about the cardio but now likes it! Our 5 days a week look something like this...we do 2 days-45 minute Strength Training, 1 day-60 minute Kempo Karate Cardio and usually 2 days-30 to 40 min. Cardio which changes from Core work to Zumba...sometimes these are the lighter days and serve the purpose of just getting our hearts pumping.

My body adjusted fairly quickly, the first week was the toughest but I have been able to build up weekly at a consistent pace. The biggest challenge has been working out after the kids go down...it is difficult because I am tired so I am thankful to have an accountability partner and to not be on my own!! However, it does have its benefits...it is great spending time with my husband in an activity that is so productive for eachother, it does help me from night time snacking, I am sleeping much better and when it comes down to it...during the day doesn't work with the kids and scheduling so it is the NO EXCUSES part of my commitment!


Have you tried any workout routines on DVD that you love and would recommend? Please share them with me!!! We are always looking to try something new!

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