masterwordsmith-unplugged

These days I spend my time on the road driving from one end of Penang to the other not because I have taken a new job as a chauffeur but because my cousin gave me a gift of one year's membership at the latest fitness centre in town.  The other day I attended belly dancing class with Beatrice and then Step Class with Francis. This evening, I had my first experience at the Zumba class led by Amy and I absolutely LOVE it!!!

According to the official Zumba site, Zumba is "an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health." It was created by Alberto "Beto" Perez in the mid 1990's.

Beto's life took an unexpected turn one fateful day in the mid-'90s when he darted off to teach an aerobics class and forgot his traditional aerobics music. He improvised using his own mix of music from tapes he had in his backpack (salsa and merengue music he grew up with). Spontaneously he created a new kind of dance-fitness, one that focused on letting the music move you (instead of counting reps over the music). Energy electrified the room; people couldn't stop smiling. His class loved it! And on that day, a revolutionary new fitness concept was born – the Zumba Fitness-Party. Click here to read more about about Zumba.

It did not matter to me that I was the oldest student in the class. What mattered was that the teacher was having a great time dancing away and teaching us so exuberantly. Initially, I was right at the back of the studio as I was 10 minutes late. After the first two sets, I re-positioned myself right in front of the platform as the other students only occupied the second half of the studio. And why? I was still wearing my reading glasses and had forgotten to change to my multi-focal lens. When I could see more clearly, boy oh boy - I had the time of my life in such an exhilarating workout dancing to zesty Latin music with a combo of Latin dances including salsa, merengue, cha-cha, rhumba, cumbia and reggaeton.

I cannot begin to tell you how that class set me on a caloric burning, heart-pounding, muscle pumping, body energizing movements that not only set my adrenalin rush but also helped me to harvest loads of endorphins to give me that feel good feeling.

I had so much fun grooving to the beat of the pulsating music, doing shimmeys, hip-hop moves, swaying salsa style - jumping, hopping, wriggling and dancing away. Throughout the class, I did not feel tired at all but stopped in between to drink water. The minute the music stopped, tiredness crept in and as I type this, I can feel my back aching a bit and I know I will be sore all over tomorrow morning but it is WORTH IT!!!

Of course I was soooooo hungry after the class but I only had 4 oatmeal biscuits for dinner and a glass of Horlicks with no sugar. Indeed I am so glad that the fitness centre has FIVE Zumba classes per week i.e. on Monday morning and evening, Thursday evening, Saturday 5p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. That means after my 3pm Zumba class, I will continue with Francis' Step Class!

If you have yet to join a fitness centre, please do so and don't forget to attend Zumba classes! Thanks to my dear cousin, the gift of gym membership has done wonders for my stamina, skin and exuberance. I feel (and hopefully look) five years younger and it is fun to be with younger people instead of with my laptop most of the time. :-)

To give an idea of what Zumba is all about and why I love it so much, here's the top Youtube video clip with 26.7 million views! I have always loved Latin dances, Latin music and culture and Zumba has definitely reinforced my love for Latin culture!



Hopefully, I can have washboard abs by the end of this year and be able to wear such Zumba workout gear!



Here's another energetic Zumba video: