Zumba zombie

Last week I took a zumba class, very excited about getting some exercise while having fun. It was fun--but also humbling. I thought my biggest problem would be learning the patterns quickly and keeping up with the class. The teacher was so good that that wasn't a problem. However I was very aware of being the target of a line from Strictly Ballroom: "She has no musicality."

Zumba has a strong latin aesthetic. Like flamenco, the hands and arms are expressive and beautiful and like hip hop, the hips are loose and suggestive. I don't have any of that going on. I felt like a football player among a group of ballerinas--all muscle and no finesse. The teacher told me it gets better if you stick with it, however she agreed that runners have very tight hips and have difficulty snapping their hips samba style.

The good news is I found out she does deep-tissue massage and I made an appointment. My achilles tendons and hip flexors are both fighting my efforts to get back into running, so hopefully she can loosen me up. She's a personal trainer, a Pilates instructor, Zumba enthusiast, and masseuse, so I'm glad I took the class. :-)
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