Zumba Saved My Life

Jul 14

Laytonville has Zumba every or nearly every weekday!

Or at least is making it really fun, for now. I can tell I'm getting better conditioned every time. We do like to “move it” 'cause we don't want to lose it.

For anyone who may not have heard, Zumba is a type of Latin dance aerobics, generally lasting about an hour. It makes aerobic exercise and conditioning relatively painless, because of the great music and the built in periods of relative rest. Yes, it's true, it's mostly the ladies, sometimes there are men, too. In Willits there's Zumba Gold for seniors (even done sitting in a chair). And in Ukiah, there’s in-person Zumba classes, too. The City of Ukiah has Splash Dance for those who need to get the gravity out (or who just enjoy the water.) There's Zumba on TV and DVD's and Wii for home use. You can do a low key/low impact version and listen to your body, as far as how to manage a certain move. So something for everybody, possibly. Some of the steps are even traditional, and that's always fun to learn. Merengue, Cumbia, Salsa, Cha-Cha, Reggae-tone, and a little Bollywood, and jazz dance are there.

It can train your body parts to listen to you (even if one starts out as a klutz). I really believe that people who have a harder time at first get even more out of it eventually. First you get the feet going, then the arms, add the hips, and then the mind gets nice and quiet and centered in the moment. Now you're living! Your heart will thank you. Search online for current Zumba classes in the area or visit YouTube to find a wide selection of free Zumba classes to do at home.