Yesterday, I went with my mother to her favorite form of exercise…Zumba
Now, I don’t know if you guys know this…but Zumba is an experience.
First of all, for whatever reason, old people love it. It’s as confusing as why old people love Florida. Anybody can live in Florida. Lots of non-old people do. But it’s known for having a bunch of crotchity old ladies around. Zumba is the same way.
It was me, my mom, another “Red Hat Society” lady and the instructor (who was much closer to my age than the other ladies). And- to be fair- it was actually a pretty good cardio session. The instructor approaches it as a workout meant to burn calories and improve your fitness, which was cool. Plus, she was one of the good instructors who has a great time and inspires you to just let go and let loose. She does the moves whole-heartedly but doesn’t stare at you to make sure you get them right. She figures you’ll watch her and catch on. Which you do. Eventually. Sort of.
I always get self conscious in those classes. Even when I’m the youngest and/or fittest in the room, I’m convinced that I have to over-achieve. It’s dumb but it’s my mind set. This instructor was really good about not making me feel silly when I was clearly off beat and spinning when nobody else was.
And that happened often. Especially during the Cumbias and Reggaeton songs. I couldn’t find those beats for the life of me. But during the Indian/Irish remix…I tore it UP. And the best part about the music? All the songs are specifically created for Zumba classes. So if for a second you forget you’re doing Zumba, the song will likely remind you at some point.
My mom and I both got a great workout. She’s 65 years old and still active. I love it. And I’m glad she’s found a woman in the area who’s really nice and gives her such a fantastic opportunity for a good class. There’s nothing quite as inspiring as seeing your 65-year-old mom shake her hips to a Pitbull remix while smiling.
Zuuuuuuuuumba!
Briana Hansen 