Zumba'd!!

Gymuary, day four. Quick note to say I succeeded in not psyching myself out and finding an excuse to not go to a Zumba class today. All of my first-timer anxiety was ill-founded, as of the eight or so women taking part, I believe four of us had never done a real class before, and everyone was at a different level of fitness and coordination. So I looked no more a clumsy clod than most anyone else might have, plus I'm sure everyone was only paying attention to their own moves or the instructor's. As long you have fun and keep moving, you're doing it right. Participating also made me feel I'm taking better advantage of my gym membership, instead of just treating it like a big room full of home exercise equipment. Oh and a bonus—I finally get to make more use of the spendy aerobic dance shoes I invested in when I took a Latin dance course a few years back (though don't let that trick you into thinking I'm especially good at Latin dance).

Not my actual Y, but this is very much what the 

class looked like. 

I'd recommend Zumba to people interested in a fast-paced workout that flies right by. I don't particularly recommended the official Zumba DVDs—they're pricey and really boring compared to a real class, and the instructions aren't especially easy to follow, if you're looking to learn the basics. I'll be reselling my set soon. The interwebs in general also makes Zumba look like something only Fly Girls and seasoned salsa dancers are into, but my class was very low-key and consisted mainly of middle-aged women. If you're curious, look for an intro class, or just toss yourself into a regular class and risk looking foolish. I promise you'll be fine.

Today's class was forty-five minutes long and I really liked the instructor, so I'm going to check out her hour-long class tomorrow, bright and early. For now, I've earned a shower and some lunch.