Posts tagged ‘Dance’
Zumba Hour in the Workplace
What’s the cure for becoming stiff sitting in a chair all day? How about a Zumba class during the lunch hour! Where else can you shake the shoulders, rotate the wrists, twist the torso, bend the back and lunge the legs during the work day? For about eight weeks now I’ve participated in a Zumba class at work. I’ve joined 10 million around the world who are now taking classes every week!
Our instructor, Nicole, whose enthusiasm and encouragement drives the energy for the class, leads us through all the moves. Despite my slight dyslexic tendencies, I still can follow Nicole fairly well and don’t have to worry about the right or left foot. I had a hip replacement several years ago, but that didn’t interfere either with following the moves despite the hip rotations. In fact, the entire class keeps up in a unison which is amazing given that most of us are doing Zumba for the first time and with no common background in dancing. We keep moving during the entire class except for a quick water break. It’s fun to dance in unison, with different ages and backgrounds represented, following routines together.
Zumba, a Latin dance with a fitness component, incorporates many dance elements including salsa, mambo and hip hop. Some of the moves have a martial arts influence. Zumba, which is not a delicate dance, includes punching, squatting and jumping. I like those elements as they convey power and strength. The high energy level of the music encourages active participation, both mentally and physically. Keeping up with the moves, ques, and anticipating what’s next makes the exercise time go fast.
Here’s a short video with some clips from the class. An hour of dance breaks up the routine . . . . like a party in the middle of the day. We could use a class every day.
Psalmboxkey's Blog 