In my quest to be in fantastic physical condition by the time I turn fifty, I am experimenting with various forms of exercise. Fortunately, our new gym membership includes many options, one of which is Zumba dancing.
Having promised myself I'd try almost anything once (at least in regard to physical fitness) I attended my first Zumba dance class this evening.
Well!
I'm not sure why I get myself into such things. I can't dance and never could, even before I experienced nerve damage in my left leg which left me with a slight foot drop on that side.
And we won't even talk about my nearly inflexible lower back.
(Did I mention that being able to move one's hips and legs are vital to the art of dancing Zumba style?)
Yet, somehow I thought I just might turn out to be quite marvelous at it, so I went.
Thank God, no one in the class seemed to be taking themselves all that seriously. Frankly, I probably got as much good from the class aerobically speaking, from laughing at the middle aged woman in the mirror who kept stumbling over her own feet and seemed unable to swivel her hips in the least, as I got from the movements themselves.
(That middle aged woman was me, of course)
Everyone else laughed a lot too, and I promised myself they were laughing at their own reflections in the mirror and not mine.
That would have left my feelings hurting a lot worse than my lower back and hips were at the end of the class.
Overall, I don't think I did too badly. Since there's very little likelihood I'll ever be invited to appear on "Dancing With the Stars", I figure the act of moving in general was more important than trying to get the moves exactly right.
And, I kept right up with the others during the warming up and cooling down exercises. Surely I get points for that!
The instructor said I did a terrific job. I'm almost certain she never says that to any of the other first time Zumba dancing grandmas. Neither was her evaluation likely swayed whatsoever by fact that she was so high on cold medication, she forgot a few of the moves herself.
Whether I ever become accomplished at Zumba dancing or not remains to be determined. As the song says, "hips don't lie" and mine were screaming "we're way too old to move this way" by the time I left the gym.
Even still, I came out feeling rejuvenated and fairly proud of myself for at least trying. So yeah, I'll be going back later this week for another attempt.
What are the possibilities? I guess I could break a hip while trying to pivot on one leg ... or I could end up being an awesome Zumba dancer just like the ladies in the attached video.
Either way, it would make a great story to tell the grandchildren.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2PN_xCstcQ
(Video is from similar a Zumba class in Hickory NC. We danced to the same song last night ... only maybe not quite as effectively. lol)
Becky J. Taylor
Dec. 1, 2009
http://www.boldnewday.com
