Holly and I have been going to Zumba once a week for a couple of months now and have been having a lot of fun, as well as getting a lot of exercise. Although, we don’t leave the class exhausted and we don’t wind up feeling sore for the next couple of days, we definitely get a great work out! So are you all wondering, what is Zumba? Let me tell you.
A Zumba workout mixes body sculpting movements with easy-to-follow dance steps mainly derived from Latin music. The routines feature aerobic interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms to tone and sculpt the body. It targets areas such as the gluteals, legs, arms, abdominals, and the heart. Participants do not have to know how to dance to do Zumba. The move combinations and Latin rhythms strive to create a party-like atmosphere - a more "feel happy" workout than may be experienced in other group exercise class types. A Zumba class is typically not formulaic in that instructors often add on their own music choices and choreographies to make their class presentation locally unique.
Inspired by Latin dance and music, Zumba uses a variety of styles in its routines, including cumbia, merengue, salsa, reggaeton, hip hop, mambo, rumba, flamenco, and calypso and Salsaton. Music selections include both fast and slow rhythms.
But the best way to understand Zumba would be to do it. Next best would be to watch a video! Zumba!!
And before anyone asks, no Holly and I do not have Zumba outfits like the ones in the video!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to a new blog for our family! I was inspired by Heather's email invitation for Earth Hour (Dad and I both registered) and the Self magazine (I read it for the articles!) that I was reading at the gym.
One of the magazine's articles talked about getting fit as a group, and I thought "we can do it as a family like Heather said." So far I've recruited Mom, Dale, and Kate to contribute. Everyone can contribute. There are no specific topics, but they should relate somehow to helping us become more healthy. We can share recipes, talk about sports or recreation, give exercise tips, etc. I think two posts per week would be good. If we have eight people posting it would only be once a month per person.
For this first post, I thought I would talk about something I've been meaning to try: a pedometer.
A friend bought an inexpensive one and wears it all day. Each day she tries to increase the number of steps. I think this could be an effective way to become more active because you can add a few steps throughout the day. You don't have to head to the gym and walk on the treadmill for an hour. Instead you add a dozen steps here and there. Maybe you walk for ten minutes at lunch or walk to a drinking fountain down the hall instead of the one that's closest. I think I'll try and pick up an inexpensive one and let you know how it goes.
One of the magazine's articles talked about getting fit as a group, and I thought "we can do it as a family like Heather said." So far I've recruited Mom, Dale, and Kate to contribute. Everyone can contribute. There are no specific topics, but they should relate somehow to helping us become more healthy. We can share recipes, talk about sports or recreation, give exercise tips, etc. I think two posts per week would be good. If we have eight people posting it would only be once a month per person.
For this first post, I thought I would talk about something I've been meaning to try: a pedometer.
A friend bought an inexpensive one and wears it all day. Each day she tries to increase the number of steps. I think this could be an effective way to become more active because you can add a few steps throughout the day. You don't have to head to the gym and walk on the treadmill for an hour. Instead you add a dozen steps here and there. Maybe you walk for ten minutes at lunch or walk to a drinking fountain down the hall instead of the one that's closest. I think I'll try and pick up an inexpensive one and let you know how it goes.
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