Let me preface this post with some pics of today’s food. We had a big cousins pool party at our house today, and quite frankly, I’m a little tired of barbecue, especially since I don’t eat meat. And since many of our guests were in the single digit age range, I decided to go with kid pleasing pizza. I usually make my own pizza once a week in the cooler months (oven + summer = no thank you) but it had been a while and it wasn’t too warm today anyway.
I made the kids’ fave with black olives (no silly, it’s not in jail, that’s the oven).
My husband’s fave, three cheese white pizza (shredded mozzarella, fresh ricotta and grated romano). My husband does not like tomatoes, and tomatoes do not like him, so no sauce for him. Kind of a bummer, because for an Italian like me, a good sauce is almost as important as oxygen. I also went a little crooked with the wheel, just like in the pizzeria!
And a “grown up” pizza with vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers (before and after):
So, as you can see, after the festivities, I had plenty of calories to burn. Tired and hot as I was, I somehow summoned the energy and motivation to make it to Zumba. What is it about Zumba that keeps me coming back, unlike other group fitness classes that quickly grow repetitive and boring? Cue the list:
Five Things I Love About Zumba
1. The music- A good Zumba class is all about the music. After all, the workout is one dance after another, even the warm-up and cool-down. The intensity and tempo varies from song to song. Funky Latin-inspired beats get you moving and shaking like you’re three drinks in at the hottest night club. Substitute excessive sweat for overpriced drinks and a sore booty for a hangover and you’ve got Zumba.
2. The instructors– Zumba instructors really love their jobs! They get right in the middle of the crowd and work right along with the group. They use facial cues and hand gestures only to guide their participants. No barking out orders, no doing three measly reps, then walking around the room the entire time. Even my beloved Tony Horton is guilty of this. “Gotta check on the kids,” he always says. Even though it’s obvious he pays his dues, I like an instructor who takes what they dish out- all of it.
3. The people- I’m not saying I go to Zumba to socialize. I don’t. I meet my friend, we dance, we sweat, we leave. But looking around the room, you can see the people here are different. People of all ages, ethnicities and fitness levels converge, both regulars and newbies. They show up. They’re committed. They smile. And they’re having fun. No baggy t-shirts or athletic gray in this class; Zumba people break out the Sunday best of workout apparel. Fitted spandex, coordinating tank tops in bright colors, and super cute neon sneakers are all the rage. Which reminds me, I need new sneakers 🙂
4. The results- One look around the room, and you can see the results. You can see that the regulars, the ones who can probably do the moves with their eyes closed, are toned and fit. Zumba is a very effective core workout, but a good instructor will incorporate whole body moves that will even leave your shoulders, back and arms burning. Since doing Zumba, I am proud to announce that I have rediscovered my waist! Buh-bye muffin top!
5. Ok, so I really only have 4 reasons, solid ones at that, but I think 5 is a nice friendly number. So instead of gushing any further about how much I love Zumba, I’ll just leave you with something to laugh at:
So, what kind of workouts get you all warm and fuzzy, er, hot and sweaty? I’d love to know.
~Silvana
realteachermom 