Zumba

'Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba® program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.'

Today I went to my second ever Zumba class. I'm guessing you've heard of Zumba - before I went it seemed like everyone was raving about it so I joined up curious to know what all the fuss was about.

I found my class through the Zumba website, go here to enter your postcode and find a class near you. Once you have a list of local classes you can click on the Instructors name, I sent my instructor an email stating that I was interested in joining up and could she give me any details, she replied very quickly and was lovely! She told me to definitely come along, wear comfy clothes and bring water so I grabbed a friend who was also keen to try it out and off we went.

What to wear? Comfy clothes you can move around in, general gym wear will do - I wore leggings a t shirt and some trainers. It pretty much goes without saying but wear a good sports bra, some of the movements are quite....erm..energetic and you don't want to be jiggling about all over the place.

What to bring? Water...definitely! There is a chance in between routines to have a quick gulp of water and you will need it!

What it costs? My class is £6 for a one hour session. I'm not sure if there is a set cost, I guess it depends on the instructor and where you are based, for reference I live in the South about an hour outside of London. It also might be cheaper to go if your gym runs Zumba classes, I am not a gym member so my class is run in a local community centre.

What to expect? Expect to sweat! The class is a mix of aerobics and dance set to Latin and African music, each song has its own routine so gradually over a few classes you will start to pick up and remember the different routines. Some routines are harder going...I finished one absolutely dripping with sweat however hard routines are always followed by a slower workout so at no point did I feel like I was going to keel over and die....which is always handy. Expect lots of shimmying and hip swaying and don't be embarrassed - everyone is doing it and other people are too busy watching the instructor to watch you. 

I picked up the routines easily and the instructor made it very easy to follow, the music is fun and there is a warm up and cool down with stretching, so by the end of the class I felt knackered but didn't wake up with achy muscles the next day - unlike my work friend who went to her first Body Pump class the same night and couldn't walk for two days! I have to say Zumba genuinely doesn't feel like you are working out, more like you're having a good time and a dance around.

Should I go? YES! Don't be afraid there were about 30 people in my class, women of all different sizes and age groups, it's really suitable for everyone! Occasionally the instructor will give an easier and harder version of a move depending on whether you want to push yourself or take it easy.

The results? I've only been to two classes so cannot comment on this but the instructor did tell me at the end of my first class, that if done properly one session can burn 500 calories! I only go once a week so am not expecting to see any massive change in my body from Zumba alone, to me it's a fun way to burn some calories.

I would seriously recommend Zumba to everyone, it is such good fun - I go with a friend and we have a great laugh. It's a good workout but not difficult to get the hang of and so much better than any other aerobics/exercise class I have been to.

Just wanted to include a Zumba video, I have been looking for this piece of music forever! This is my favourite routine from Zumba class and gives you a rough idea of what to expect.

Big thanks to @LashesAndPearls who suggested this post, go check out her fab blog here.