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Business & Tech

Zumba: My Wedding Day Dance Floor Primer

Zumba proves to be an excellent workout and a great way to learn how to move in rhythm.

I'd long heard of Zumba, but I wasn’t fully motivated to try it until I learned that two of my aunts had taken up the fitness routine. One of them hopes it will help her lose a few pounds before my wedding; she wants to be able to "…dance the night away."

It got me thinking that perhaps the bride-to-be could use a little tone-up as well, not to mention that Zumba is known to help you develop a better rhythmic sense (or at least, that’s what I’ve been told).

Next thing I knew I was signing up for in Union Square. Since December, Goodrich has been teaching the dance-based exercise to people of all ages and abilities. The Zumba-certified instructor works out of the Tango Society of Boston/Dance Union at 16 Bow St.

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Before my first class, Goodrich and I chatted about her interest in the fitness program. She said she first discovered Zumba a couple of years ago and was impressed with not only the intensity of the workout, but also the great time she had doing it.

"That's the best part about it," she said. "It's fun and it’s exercise."

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Goodrich, a UMass Lowell grad, told me her side fitness career provides a needed escape from her stressful day job. And from the moment she began warming up, I could tell she has some serious dance skills. It was no surprise to find out she has a background in belly dancing as well as jazz and hip hop.

Before the hour-long class officially started, Goodrich explained that she incorporates many different types of music—salsa, Haitian Zouk, Columbian tunes, hip hop, and reggae—into her class. When practiced correctly, she explained, Zumba is truly a hodgepodge of international rhythms.

"You could do as Irish step dance followed by hip hop," she said.

Not being much of a dancer, I can't properly relay all the moves we practiced, but what I can tell you is that I sweat up a storm. Between tapping my feet, hopping, kicking, shaking my arms in the air, shimmying my hips, and a host of other moves, my heart was pumping something fierce.

All eight of us in attendance wholeheartedly ‘felt the burn.’ Luckily, you're free to grab water whenever you like, and Goodrich will slow the pace when/if necessary.

Although there were some intense ballads, many of the tunes had a strong club-feel. Most of the moves I was able to figure out, even if it took a minute, but there were a few that I couldn’t fully pull off. The great part, though, is you can do your own variation of any given step… so, long as you're moving, you're still ‘with the class’ and getting a great workout.

Afterwards I asked classmate Sonia Harris what she thought of the experience. Not only did she tell me she got an incredible workout, but she also said she appreciated Goodrich's teaching style.

"She's a good instructor…vivacious and confident, so that really helped," she said. "She really connected with the group.”

I agreed. And what really spoke volumes was the way I felt the rest of the evening. I was so worked-over, I couldn't even make it to the grocery store. Instead, I had to drive straight home and lie down. The next day my legs were a little sore, but (surprisingly) it was nothing too extreme. It wasn’t one of those exercise experiences where you think ‘Oh no – never again!” I’m actually looking forward to attending my next Zumba class, learning some more moves and getting trained up for a night full of wedding fun.

Katie Goodrich currently offers classes on Sundays and Mondays. If you are interested in giving Zumba a try, call her at 781-405-8197 or email: zumbadanceunion@gmail.com. There are also Zumba classes at the CBC Training & Fitness Club at 73 Bow St. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Feel free to email Jess Perkins at jessperkins@comcast.net for more information.

 

 

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