Shake! Shake Shake! Shake yo booty!

Who doesn’t like to shake their booty every now and then? Even if you refuse to do it in public, you can’t fool me, I know you do it at home.

Did you know that 96.4%* of Americans dance naked in front of their mirror? I believe it. I’ve been doing it since I knew what naked was. (Or nekked as we say in the South.) I used to dance naked around my house, until my neighbors started sending the HOA letters and they made me go back inside. But I digress.

For people who aren’t afraid to shake their booty’s, then there’s a work out just for you! It’s called ZUMBA! By now, most of you have tried it, or at the very least have heard of it. But every now and then I’m surprised that when I mention it, people ask what it is.

I guess by definition, Zumba is a Latin infused dance fitness class. There’s a lil rumba, salsa, cha-cha, reggae, and more. I’ve tried it all over the mid-state and I’ve had several different teachers, and no teacher’s style is the same. Some are strictly Latin songs, some combine it with hip-hop. (Pitbull is a recent favorite of some!) Zumba has become widely popular these days and has a booming retail business. (FYI – if you ever want to order any Zumba ensemble, order bigger than you normally wear. My fat ass learned the hard way.)

The great thing about the growing popularity of Zumba is that everyone can do it now. Personally, my favorite class is the Wednesday night class at the Hendersonville Y, taught by Jamie. We’ve been appropriately named the “Wednesday Nasties” because we get nas-tay, hey hey! There are teens, middle aged women, seniors, and yes, even men. They always stand in the back because they “don’t want to be seen.” I think we know what this means. They get the best view from the back. The men who aren’t brave enough to attend just gawk through the windows. I’m not sure which is worse.

It goes without saying that this ain’t yo Grandma’s fitness class!

We get down! We bump. We grind. We get nasty. All the Y. Who would have imagined?! It’s a cardio-packed hour and when you leave, you feel like you’ve really worked out. I kind of forget that I’m even exercising when I Zumba, because I like to booty dance at home for fun.

So check your local Y, gym, and even churches! It takes a class or two to get the hang of it, so bring a friend if it makes you feel better. But the most important part is that you MOVE! And if dancing makes that time go by faster, then this is the perfect fit for you!

~Jenn

*Did you know that 47.9% of statistics are made up?