Have you heard of Zumba? You know, that exercise/dance system (some would call it a “craze”) where you move in choreographed steps to loud, fast exotic-style music with a fascinating beat. I actually took a Zumba class once, but I found the music so loud I couldn’t think straight, and the instructor seemed to believe it wasn’t necessary to actually show us how to do the steps, which kind of made it hard on everyone. Finally, I found not only the instructor, but also most of the students, were young enough to be my children.
Enter Zumba Gold! Zumba Gold targets baby boomers, with a formula similar to the original Zumba, but modifies the moves, intensity and speed so that older participants can join in and be successful as well. Zumba Gold is even usable by people in a wheelchair! The intent of these classes is for seniors to have a great time while they are improving their heart health, strength, flexibility, and balance.
So, if you’re wondering what this Zumba stuff is all about, click here for a demo of what the young folks do (note: this is an advertisement for the Kinect XBox 360, but it’s still a great video). Just looking at that makes me shake my head. The lady doing the demo has NOT ONE OUNCE of jiggly flesh on her body! Not ONE!! This is definitely not me!
And then, click here for an interesting video about Zumba Gold, Move and Groove. Now granted, that’s way more my speed, and I am pretty sure I can do this even at the level of the lady in the nice dress in the back….but I’ll have to admit: I really like the original Zumba music best!
If you are looking for someone in the Zumba Gold movement, which is much kinder to our generation, look no further than Grandma Shellie at her Zumba Gold website. Grandma Shellie must have a lot going on under the hood – I see she not only is a certified fitness instructor, but holds a Ph.D. (not sure in what), but is also very attractive and young looking. The only thing I would hold against her is her strong endorsement of Ms. Obama’s childhood obesity mandate. Not that I am against eliminating childhood obesity – I just disagree with the dietary guidelines that goes along with the mandate. The movement part – that is excellent! So, take a look at Grandma Shellie’s website, and after you learn about Zumba Gold, see if a set of classes is available near you.
Me? I’m doomed. I’m scheduled for the Low Carb Cruise May 6-13, and will enjoy the every day availability of Monique Forslund, one of the best non-senior citizen Zumba instructors available. I really, really need to go to her classes…and maybe I can be half the picture of health Monique is! Note to self: pack earplugs and get ready to jiggle!
Photo from Google Public Domain search.
