Any other Zumba fans?

[Member123]

Margaret,

I absolutely love reading your thoughtful posts.

 

Yesterday something just flipped in my brain. I went to a Zumba class with a really great instructor and had such a fantastic class. At the end, one of the ladies approached me and began a conversation about the Zumba instructor from the class that I had taken where I was feeling so negative. As it turns out, I am not isolated in my feelings about that particular instructor. So, even though I felt kind of vindicated from the thought that I was full of negativity, I didn't feel any better because the gym took away such a quality instructor and replaced her with this great personality but not awesome exercise mind. I guess I'm going to have to speak up, which I don't really want to do because I do appreciate the effort that instructors make just to BE instructors. kwim? But this instructor is just bad for my body in the sense that she doesn't warm me up properly for Zumba choreography. So I am going to have to say something.

 

After Zumba, I did the Break-In Weight Training Routine. As we all remember, when we begin strength training (weight resistance), we need to have a period of time where we get our body accustomed to the idea of lifting weights. It's important to do this in order to have success in the long term. This Break-In period is not insignificant; if I remember correctly (and I do), it lasts for 10 weeks.

 

The strength training routine doesn't feel complicated, which is part of the break in philosophy. It's "only" 8 exercises in total, but because of the rest periods between sets and the unfamiliarity, it still took me about 55 minutes to complete. Still, it was a good thing to do. After the Zumba and the weights, my entire body felt very warmed up and exercised. Just an fyi, the exercises on the first day of the break-in routine were done with dumbbells: one-arm row, incline bench press, biceps curl, overhead triceps extension, calf raise, standing shoulder press, squat, deadlift. Performed 15 reps in 2 sets with 90-seconds rest between sets. Supposed to be done as compound exercises; i.e., doing the one-arm row set followed by the incline bench press set, rest 90 seconds, do the second set of these exercises. Go to the next compound set of calf raises and shoulder presses. Well, it's a gym... if you "own" a bench, your body needs to be on the bench, otherwise, someone will come in on the bench. So, I wasn't able do the compound sets very effectively, which meant that the exercising took me a bit longer.

 

This morning, I have sore triceps, sore quads, sore lats. Not an unpleasant feeling, actually. Today is a rest day. Tomorrow, I'm going to do a Zumba class followed by a Zumba Toning class. Sometime this week, I need to get the other 2 days of the Break-in Routine done: there are different exercises for all 3 days so it's important to do get started on this properly.

 

I feel good. This post has gotten too long, so I'm going to post another with some information that I found uplifting.

[Member123]

I love going to spas. I absolutely love the spa environment and feel so thoroughly relaxed and in love with life at a spa! I was reading a cookbook from the Golden Door and came across this information entitled Eight Steps to Mindful Eating. It's information that we all know... but it just felt good to refresh my memory and I thought of all the ladies here and wanted to share this feel good moment that I had while remembering this information. So, here goes.

 

1. Identify food cravings. Learn to recognize the difference between a craving for spinach and a craving for ice cream. A hankering for spinach means that your body needs iron or another nutrient found in leafy greens. A craving for ice cream, on the other hand, does not mean your body is in dire need of butterfat, but may be caused by fatigue or even stress, which can send very real chemical signals to eat food. When you don't know why you are eating, it can be hard to assess what an appropriate alternative response might be. Think of food as energizing fuel for the body instead of as a source of comfort. When you feel hunger, ask yourself if you are actually hungry or are instead craving something. Honor your body with healthy choices when you are physically hungry. If not truly hungry, try to find something besides food that can satisfy your needs.

 

2. Practice managing your stress and learn to relax. There are many ways to manage stress over the long term, including exercise, meditation, and keeping a food diary. But to successfully practice mindful eating, it's important to manage stress in the moment, before the stress response is triggered. The simplest and most effective first step is to learn how to breathe fully. Deep abdominal breathing can help bring the body away from the stress response and induce the relaxation response.

 

3. Use the hunger scale. The hunger scale goes from 0 to 10, where 0 is truly physically hungry and 10 is really stuffed. Check in with your stomach and your brain several times during the day and before and during each meal. Try to stop eating when you are satisfied (7 to 8), before you are full.

 

4. Always eat sitting down. Never eat out of boxes or bags. Whether for a full meal or a simple snack, set the table, even if it's just a placemat and utensils. Put your feet on the floor, face forward, sit up straight, and look at your food. This simple practice makes a big impact on your overall mindfulness, and satiety, over the course of the day.

 

5. Use the One-Minute Rule. Before eating anything, whether you are sitting down to a full meal or a snack, wait one full minute before putting any food in your mouth. Take inventory of the quality and portion size of the food. Note what your food looks like and how it smells. Put your hand on your stomach and establish your hunger level using the hunger scale in step 3. Take three deep breaths (step 2) to help you relax your body and focus on the food. Finally, taste the food that you have so carefully observed.

 

6. Slow down. It takes up to 20 minutes for the message to go from your stomach to your brain that you have food "on board."

 

7. Drink plenty of water. Your body is nearly 60 percent water and your brain is almost 70 percent water. Staying hydrated at all times is good for your skin, joints, muscles, and circulation.

 

8. Practice radical self-acceptance. Above all, be kind to yourself and stop beating yourself up about overeating. The next time you get feelings that usually lead you to eat for reasons other than hunger, say to yourself, "I must need something. What am I feeling and how can I meet that need differently?" Practice some of the many strategies above, and also practice accepting and loving yourself. Feel proud with every success--large or small.

 

:D

[Anita Latte]

All I can think of is...birds of a feather...

 

I don't know why we are so hard on ourselves. It isn't helpful...

 

I'm working on my environment. That is, my home. Margaret, you will understand the whole Style Statement connection... I'm thinking of myself and all things related to me as a whole. I have issues related to my home also and so, I'm thinking that if I tackle some of these things...I'll be getting closer and closer to two oars in the water.

 

SO. I made some changes to my home today. I have to read my Style Statement book, and go to the home section to see if I can't get some help in figuring out what it is that REALLY happens to my thought processes that lets me go through these cycles of gains and losses.

 

I'm also hoping that getting my home into a better working order will just spill over into the areas of life that will have a more direct impact on the activities that will more directly affect my health and wellness goals.

 

I'm totally going to try that pear salad. I think I would feta or goat cheese also. I have a couple of pears that I bought on sale. I have some specialty greens around too...so I'll sub that too! LOL. We don't do walnuts much...so I'll probably do pecans. DH's dad has a bad reaction of some sort related to walnuts, so we generally avoid them. It's just ingrained now, I don't recall what the reaction is... Still. I'm going to try MY version of that pear salad! :)

 

I love the spa environment too. There's something simple and functional about the spa. Purposeful. Not necessarily MULTI-functional. It's like there's a focus to every location within the spa and when you are there...you just focus on that activity. I think this is similar to what happens in a home that is "staged." Each room gets clearly defined...and the excess is taken away. The open space is as important as the filled space. This is a great description of the changes that I am making in my home. Thinking about it with this spa framework though...makes me even more enthusiastic for this project.

 

Also...I think this will help with my day. DH has a way of talking about his work. He's a project manager...he did his time sheet recently and he had worked on 18 different projects that week. He has a an enlightening way of talking about how NO ONE can actually multi-task. You can only do one thing at a time. You HAVE to prioritize and you have to focus. Because literally...one can only do one thing at a time! I'm hoping that as I get my house in order, I will be better able to focus without the distractions of a chaotic environment...make my priorities and act on them.

 

It's a work in progress...but I'm getting there.

[MJC]

Margaret,

I absolutely love reading your thoughtful posts.

 

Thank you, that's so sweet. I love reading yours too, I always learn something, and feel motivated afterwards.

 

Yesterday something just flipped in my brain. I went to a Zumba class with a really great instructor and had such a fantastic class. At the end, one of the ladies approached me and began a conversation about the Zumba instructor from the class that I had taken where I was feeling so negative.

 

I went through this last summer with one of my Saturday teachers. One day I actually went home mad about the class. :eek: While as a teacher, and teacher trainer, I respect that every one is on their own journey to proficiency, at some point when you are a student whose needs are not being met, you need to act. Especially where fitness classes are concerned, you certainly don't want to damage yourself because of niceness. While the gym may or may not act on your feedback, I think they need to know. They may not know how to judge for themselves other than is the class full or not full. JMHO.

 

8. Practice radical self-acceptance. Above all, be kind to yourself and stop beating yourself up about overeating. The next time you get feelings that usually lead you to eat for reasons other than hunger, say to yourself, "I must need something. What am I feeling and how can I meet that need differently?" Practice some of the many strategies above, and also practice accepting and loving yourself. Feel proud with every success--large or small.

 

I love spas too, and I especially liked #8. :)

 

So much good stuff here it's hard to focus!

[MJC]

I'm working on my environment. That is, my home. Margaret, you will understand the whole Style Statement connection... I'm thinking of myself and all things related to me as a whole. I have issues related to my home also and so, I'm thinking that if I tackle some of these things...I'll be getting closer and closer to two oars in the water.

 

I find the two oars analogy so helpful and it applies to so many things, it seems. I am glad you are still working with the Style Statement book. Even though it's been a while since I did the exercises, I still find myself thinking about it a lot. Your post, and the previous discussion about piles, all helped me see how my own thought processes about my health, my wardrobe issues, and my home are connected, and more importantly how they also share the same disconnect. Or maybe lack of focus. Or actually too many competing focuses!

 

I love the spa environment too. There's something simple and functional about the spa. Purposeful. Not necessarily MULTI-functional. It's like there's a focus to every location within the spa and when you are there...you just focus on that activity. It's a work in progress...but I'm getting there.

I like spas too, and I like your word "purposeful." I think this is why I like cruises, also, in that the room has just what you need and not more, and there is a defined menu of options for activities and meals, and the wardrobe you bring is finite and has to meet certain functions but not ALL of them. The limits are actually freeing.

 

 

Years ago when we renovated our kitchen, our architect friend asked me what was my favorite place in the apartment. I told him the dining area was, because it was pretty, comfortable, and all we did there was eat and entertain, so it was a happy place. Unfortunately in an apartment we have to fit a lot of different functions in a small space, so that room is unique in that respect. I mean, even our closets are multi-functional! Still, it's a nice idea to have and to aspire to.

 

It may seem fractured to be working on health, wardrobe, and home all at once, and a continuation of my usual too-many-projects mania. But, I am hoping that all this work and change will actually streamline things and eliminate some distraction in the long run. I carry a lot from the past with me, and I would like to live the life I have now with just the things I need to do that and not so much extra stuff.

 

For me, starting a home project, eating a snack, buying something new to wear -- they all have either practical motivations or emotional ones, and I'd really like to be more mindful about where those impulses are coming from. For example, right now I want a snack, but what I really need is to stop what I'm doing and have a proper lunch. So I will listen to what I really need, and go eat something healthy. Then go to the gym. :)

[delacruz]

I'm enjoying all your posts and wisdom. MINDFUL is the word of the day I think, I have to catch myself a LOT because I tend to get mindLESS and run around with my head chopped off a lot.

 

I just had a couple of days of mindlessness and obsession over a dress I DIDN'T need for a cruise formal night, and ended up with a mindful end to it that makes me feel good.

 

This weekend I dragged DH clothes shopping. (actually he comes willingly, I'm the one that drags going shopping). I wanted to see if there was a 'bargain' for a formal night dress for the next cruise....I don't need one, so it would would have to be a bargain. Anita, IRC, a couple of years ago I discovered the same dress bargain that you did - the Sangria keyhole maxi dress, and it's the most comfy dress I've ever worn AND looks great to boot, so I don't NEED another dress. Also I wanted to try on styles to get an idea of what I will want to get for DD wedding in October...color-wise, length wise, etc.

 

I found a black floor-length one-shoulder gown with a rhinestone brooch at the shoulder, a gathered bodice, and a slit up the side. I just barely got the size 10 zipped in the back, but once I did, I felt WOW. DH said WOW. and it was marked down from $179 to $89. BUT, I didn't need it, it is a bit dressier than I wanted, and even at 1/2 price, still not a bargain for a dress I didn't need. DH is not renting a tux as he's done the last 2 cruises, and this dress really wouldn't work quite right with his lighter colored suits. If it wasn't black, I'd consider it for the wedding, but I'm not wearing black for that.

 

I obsessed for 2 days over it, actually left work yesterday heading back to the mall, but then turned in the other direction. The realization finally came over me...I wanted the dress NOT because I needed it, but because it made me FEEL GOOD! (actually, hot was the operative word!).

 

So now I can feel good about saving $89!:rolleyes:

[Member123]

 

I found a black floor-length one-shoulder gown with a rhinestone brooch at the shoulder, a gathered bodice, and a slit up the side. I just barely got the size 10 zipped in the back, but once I did, I felt WOW. DH said WOW. and it was marked down from $179 to $89.

 

I obsessed for 2 days over it, actually left work yesterday heading back to the mall, but then turned in the other direction. The realization finally came over me...I wanted the dress NOT because I needed it, but because it made me FEEL GOOD! (actually, hot was the operative word!).

 

So now I can feel good about saving $89!:rolleyes:

 

Judi,

 

I just feel the need to point out a little something/something to you!

 

Girl, you FIT into a size 10 dress! And when you saw it on your body, your thoughts were WOW and your DH had the same thoughts. It wasn't... good try.. it was a WOW.

 

Come on. You don't need to feel good about saving $89! The EXPERIENCE of trying on the dress and having that feeling... those are priceless moments.

 

You needed that FEEL GOOD moment! THAT's what you should walk away with.. that memory. Whether the dress hangs in your closet or not... that memory can become emblazoned in your person and motivate you to keep on, keeping on. Healthy lifestyle full of those feel good moments when you go clothes shopping.

 

I'm just sayin'. :cool:

[Member123]

So, after my thorough workout routine this past Sunday, I woke up on Monday morning with some sore muscles. They were definitely sore because it felt wonderful to massage my quads! LOL.

 

This morning, I woke up stiff. OMG. I just have that stiff feeling in my legs and the triceps muscles are definitely complaining. I just feel the need to MOVE. I'm so happy that I have Zumba tonight. And, I DECIDED to also go to Zumba Toning after the regular class. Same fabulous, wonderful, talented instructor. Just should not pass up this opportunity.

 

So, I'm having to do some dinner planning because Zumba will last from 5:30pm to 7:30pm, which is smack at dinner time. I've tried to eat before 5:30pm and that just wasn't good. My food just sat like a lump in my stomach and gulping oxygen while digesting... well... not an optimal thing to do! I know that I'll be eating something light right before class; I'm considering a protein shake. Then, when I get home I'll supplement with something. My plan is to split my dinner calories into a before/after scenario on Tuesday nights.

 

Then I have to make something for DH to eat! So I guess I'll make a pot of turkey chili for him; not the awesome turkey chili recipe, Anita, but just a substitute of turkey in that regular chili recipe because I have all those ingredients... and it's easy.

 

I'm definitely going to have to give some thought to my Tuesday meals so I can prepare for the evening's Zumba classes. I've DECIDED that I'm going to make this part of my weekly routine.

[Anita Latte]

It may seem fractured to be working on health, wardrobe, and home all at once, and a continuation of my usual too-many-projects mania. But, I am hoping that all this work and change will actually streamline things and eliminate some distraction in the long run. I carry a lot from the past with me, and I would like to live the life I have now with just the things I need to do that and not so much extra stuff.

 

This is EXACTLY where I am at. This talked to me...I identified with it so much, I thought I had expressed the thought and somehow the formatting on the quote was missing. For once, I am taking a holistic approach to my life...trying to recognize how my physical health and wellness is totally related to the health and wellness of my environment...and how I am affected by my environment and how that affects my actions, attitude and motivations. I have focused on individual things in the past and been somewhat successful...but I don't feel like I've yet hit the trigger for when I let things "go to pot" as my Great Grandma used to say. What a funny saying...

 

Anyway...I'm striving for this goal. To simplify and streamline my life so that I have more opportunities to make choices with my time.

 

It begins with the massive job of achieving a long sought after goal...a place for everything and everything in its place.

 

I have been completed defeated by the weather and have completely lost any motivation to move. It's so sad to say...but the rain and cold...so I am trying to focus on the house and food. And also focus on the idea of rest and sleep. REAL rest.

 

Judi...I have to agree with Mom. That experience was priceless. Hang on to that mental picture and feeling! Sounds like, if you haven't enjoyed shopping in the past...you didn't often experience that feeling of finding something that made you feel so great. Me thinks that fun window shopping may be more in your future. :) It can actually be quite motivating when you can feel so awesome in a variety of clothing. When you just let yourself try on and see...without having to buy...it can be a lot of fun to just try things on to see what different things look like. Sometimes, it's very surprising what looks good! And you may find that you like something new that you haven't been able to wear in the past. It's fun!

[delacruz]

Thanks for the good feedback about my dress experience! I credit you ladies for helping me appreciate and identify my reaction... especially from the last few days of posting about our motivation, opening our eyes to our behaviors, etc.

 

I have an acquaintance who I ran into at the beginning of January when we both rejoined Weight Watchers. We're the same height & age, started out the same weight and have lost the same amount - approx. 7 lbs so far. We belong to the same gym but she mostly takes a body pump class and was getting bored. She just started coming to Zumba with me, and liked it well enough to invest in good dance shoes (she gets that same silly grin all class that I do! :p)

 

I realize that we each still hang onto a pretty negative self-image, but think the other one looks pretty good....except we're the same weight and size! That's something we're going to have to work on together. I just became her FB friend so we can cheer each other on!

 

Anita....Streamlining....I YEARN for it, but still feel overwhelmed by how much I have to get rid of. I know....one baby step at a time!

 

Member123...that's a difficult time for Zumba. When I started taking classes it was 7pm...dinner time! I found myself eating something light before class, but then being so hungry on the drive home that I ate everything in sight! Even though I'm very lucky that DH is the local chef so dinner was ready, I was famished. It took a while, and a few extra pounds, to find the right balance of eating enough of the right things before class to get me through where I wasn't starving. When the 5:30 1 hr class opened up, I jumped on that. I give you a lot of credit for taking 2 classes in a row!

[Member123]

Good morning Ladies.

 

So yesterday's exercise madness was challenging, exhilarating, crazy making, and just plain fun. Part of that was, of course, the instructor. I love this particular Zumba instructor (she's not my FAV: my FAV currently lives in GA... just sayin'). I had the weirdest reaction to getting back to Zumba from my vacation. First of all, I DECIDED that I couldn't go to Tuesday nights because Kisha would absolutely kick my butt and I couldn't have her be my FIRST return to Zumba experience. So, I procrastinated because there was a lot that I could use to get in the way of going back to exercise. Then, I DECIDED that I would go to Kisha on Tuesday to start my week... and she had a SUB... so I Did.Not.Go. because that didn't fit into my decision! Can you believe how creative I was?!?

 

Anyway, the point being that I went to Kisha last night... for the first time this year! That's quite a number of weeks without seeing this lovely instructor! Walking into class, I was so glad to be there. And then Kisha saw me and walked right over and gave me a hug. Then, she returned to her conversation with a group of ladies. Then, before class started, she came back over and gave me another hug and asked me if I didn't miss her just a little. I said, of course! And I meant it! Class was wonderful.

 

Boy, did my muscles need to be used! Absolutely. This morning my body feels so much better. Wow. I did do both sessions. I had an interesting observation in the Zumba Toning class. I used the smallest toning sticks; Kisha, of course, used the larger toning sticks. I spent quite a bit of time trying to make sure that my sticks were being used EXACTLY the way that Kisha was using hers. And, wow, my brain just didn't give me the directions to my arms and feet that i needed to perform the choreography. That was interesting to me and made me realize how much I needed to get my brain engaged in learning these coordinated moves! But, my observation was that those toning sticks really help to make purposeful movement. I'm pretty good at doing that in regular Zumba class. I do see some ladies just moving their arms through the air without any concentrated movement with intention and contracted muscles. It's quite a bit different to do some movements with concentration; i.e., if you squat by just bouncing your quads and bending your knees vs really engaging your quads... whole different story. I would recommend Zumba Toning... but it is different and takes some getting used to.

 

My heart rate monitor said I burned 1830 calories in 2 hrs!!! :cool:

Well, I know that I didn't. One thing to keep in mind with all these monitoring tools: whether they be heart rate monitors, calorie charts, or weight scales... is that they are just metric tools that give you baseline information. The weight loss is so much more complicated than simple calories in = weight loss or gain.

 

Judi, you were right! I was perfectly fine with my stomach until I hit the house and smelled my kitchen. Two thing were going on: first, I had a slow cooker doing its thing to make bone broth... AND... I had made my DH some turkey chili which I neglected to tell him to take OFF THE BURNER and put into the frig when he finished eating! OMG. So I had the most amazing smells coming out of my kitchen because he kept the chili on a slow simmer on the stove.

 

So, I had a bowl of chili at 8:00pm! :eek:

 

This morning, my scale did adjust slightly. It showed 2/10 weight loss! Woo hoo! LOL. But, it also showed a slight adjustment to the fat %. Whatever. I know that I'm doing a Good. Thing. by returning to my exercise routine. Actually, I'm returning with a vengeance. I'm tired of being in my head with my life and just want to create movement and awareness in my day.

 

Today I'm reading some of my spa cookbooks and planning out the week's meals. I haven't done that in ages. I'm trying to find ways (creative, tasty ways) to incorporate bone broth into my diet. That's a whole different story better saved for a different day.

 

Grins to all!:D

[Anita Latte]

@Mom. I loved hearing about your interaction with Kisha! There's something so wonderful about having your attendance in class be noticed. You belong! You have a Zumba friend...even if the majority of your relationship takes place within the class setting...it significantly affects how you feel in class. For me, it makes a huge difference to have that social interaction. It's motivating to me....makes me WANT to go to class.

 

@Judi. So excited for YOU to have Zumba buddy! Again...so helpful to add that fun factor to physical activity. Negative self image...it can be very difficult to change. The little changes that are hard to focus on over time DO finally add up to something huge and noticeable...but as the little changes happen, I don't think we are able to see them and so we aren't changing our mental image of ourselves. It's REALLY hard to see what you REALLY look like! You do have to have a moment...like when you tried on the dress...that gives you that wow factor so that you can understand that you really are DIFFERENT than how you are still thinking about yourself.

 

To streamline...it is one step at a time. When I started this process...in January 2003! :eek: my criteria for keeping things was different than it is today. I find myself letting go of more and more. I can share this...there's a snowball effect when you start to streamline. I find that most things in life are like this...

 

You have to do what you can. Whether it's regarding your diet or your exercise...or what you can let go of to streamline your stuff.

 

When you actually do what you can...you find that you can do more. You expand those better food choices, you workout out longer or more often or with more energy or strength...and you can let go of more stuff.

 

And it goes from there. When you experience the difference that the baby step makes...you realize that you can take another step...and another...and another. The first step is the hardest one.

 

I highly encourage you to do it though. It feels SO GOOD. I'm working my way through the house. I almost hate to type this...but I must share...change is in the air in our household. Not sure exactly when...but something is coming...and I think we will be leaving GA in the summer. At least...I'm very hopeful that we will. It's not just my family...it's happening for my in-laws as well...I'm trying to find the balance between living in the moment while preparing for a future. This is a lesson that keeps repeating in my life...hello, Style Statement...and by golly...I'm going to learn it this time!!

[Anita Latte]

Hey Ladies! Have you heard this song in your Zumba classes yet?

 

Zumba Morena by Montano feat Vic-J

 

It was released to ZIN within the past couple months...I was so bummed that I hadn't received this particular release yet, as everyone was talking about how it was one of the most awesome MegaMix releases in a long time... Well...I think I have been sharing how I have been dealing with my home, and specifically, the STUFF in my home...and surprise! I found my MM! Yay!

 

So I love this song, personally and am working on figuring out a routine for it. The interesting thing about this song is that is classified as a Kuduro rhythm. This is the same rhythm that is popular in one of the best songs for Zumba ever:

 

 

Since Zumba is identifying this rhythm as a distinct rhythm, I decided to do a bit of research on it.

 

Without going into too much detail...Kuduro is a rhythm/style of music born out of Angola, a country on the Southwestern coast of Africa. Here is traditional Angolan dancing:

 

 

Angola was a country torn by a great civil war. The current median age in Angola is under 18 years old. Almost 65% of the population is under 25 years of age. This generation that grew up in a war torn country has birthed this new music that is generally considered "house music" because it is generally produced at home.

 

It is highly synthesized music with a fast beat (generally around 140 BPM). Most often, someone creates a track at their house (not a studio) and then creates CDs and passes them out to the their friends and especially taxi drivers. Taxis are vans that seat 12-15 people and are the most popular form of transportation in Angola. The taxi drivers, therefore, are a main method of spreading music.

 

The traditional Angolan dance has morphed into something that looks more this:

 

 

Kuduro music is club music.

 

Kuduro dance is often a street dance. All it takes is one drum and a crowd of people. Videos of it all over YouTube are showing a crowd forming a ring while different people hit the middle and show off their moves. This is being touted by commentators as one of the best examples of Kuduro dance:

 

 

Kuduro is born of a celebration of life. At the same time, it goes to an aggressive place...and many Kuduro songs are straight up rap songs over that exuberant beat. There are starts and stops to these types of songs. Adjectives like "cut" and "choppy" are often associated with Kuduro. For Zumba, I think that the song they have picked for this MM has a wide appeal. Very dancable.

 

As to typical Kuduro moves...this in and out movement of the knees/legs while circling the hips seems to be the most widely recognizable move throughout all the videos I've watched. Lots of booty circles...while moving closer to the ground. Also the back and forth booty pop type move...also moving closer to the ground. These are especially for the women, of course. Also, a kind of jumping jack move where the legs go out and then cross. A lot of moves where one foot just crosses over the other foot and then back...and an almost Michael Jackson kind of kick your foot around with a knee raise. Also the single, single, double type rhythm except you do leg, leg, then leg raise.

 

I've been studying this because I would prefer to bring Kuduro moves to the Kuduro song...because otherwise, this sound just sounds like popular Latin music... And it sounds Latin because the official language of Angola is Portuguese (just like Brazil)...and funny enough, Angola and Brazil are at a similar latitude.

 

Anyway...the few routines that have been posted on YouTube are usually typical Zumba moves. Nothing that seems very Kuduro inspired to me. I think this song would be a great opportunity to bring some inner and outer thigh action to the dance. Especially the inner thigh as the momentum of the movement is in the adductor movement. My main challenge right now is how to bring the movement to the dance in a safe way...

 

I'd love to hear if anyone has been doing a routine to this song and what you think about it!

[Member123]

So another Zumba class today! And, again, my body really needed to move.

 

Anita, the videos that you linked to above are really interesting. I haven't had your new FAV song in any of my classes, but I've certainly had the movement. Especially that core movement of putting your legs into almost a type of plie stance and then wiggling your hips on the way down and back up? I can't fathom how Miri does that move and I'm going to have to try to figure out how to duplicate because it sure looks like a fantastic core strengthening movement.

 

So, today was another day of strength training Break-In Routine. As I mentioned, its only a total of 8 exercises. Today's were: squat, lunge, leg extension, leg curl, calf press, upright row, standing calf raise, triceps kickback. 2 sets of 15 reps.

 

Here's the funny moment. The gym is 2-story with reception being on the lower floor and the upper floor has all the equipment and the group studios. I was just fine walking on level ground BUT when my feet hit the stairs! OMG. I couldn't walk down the stairs. My legs were just jelly. I had to go down holding onto the handrail for dear life! Someone saw me and told me to get some protein into my body ASAP! So funny. OK, we'll see if I'm laughing or groaning in the morning.

 

Right now... again, I feel great. Like my body has been thoroughly exercised. I could go to Zumba again tomorrow morning... but my Sunday class was cancelled. So, I don't know what the weekend brings on the exercise front.

 

The strength training break in routine is supposed to be done 3x a week for a total of 10 weeks. Since I really want to do Zumba Toning with Kisha, I'm going to allow that session to be one of the 3x; which means that I will just rotate my routines through a longer time period so that I can get all the exercise variations in; at 2x a week, it just means that it will take me 15 weeks to get through this initial period.

 

So far.... so good. In case anyone is wondering, I'm doing this because I want to take steps to improve my posture and to tone my arms. My DH says that you can't really just concentrate on one body part; it's like only concentrating on one room in a house... to do that makes the rest of the house appear shabby. So, in effect, because I want to tone my arms... that means that I have to work on all the rest. :rolleyes: Oh well.

[Anita Latte]

In trying to not reference anything too annoying...I tried to steer clear of certain links...but after Mom's post about her instructor's move...I will reference this video...

 

WARNING...the music is a bit annoying. It probably rocks if you are moving to it...Mom, this song sounds like Kisha to me? She would end up doing something awesome to it that makes you forget how annoying the music is? LOL! But I'm linking this up here because the ladies have some serious booty action in this video...so warning there too...if you are embarrassed by booty close up doing pops and circles...don't look at:

 

 

If you wish that you could move like that...then this is a pretty decent video to study...because the ladies in this video got moves...

[burm]

I discovered the joy of zumba about a year and a half ago and quickly developed a passion for it. As someone who finds most exercise boring, it was wonderful to get fit doing something that I loved - dancing to Latin music.

[burm]

Sorry, my first post sent before I finished.

 

Anyway, I was going to zumba 4 or 5 times a week and getting fit while having a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I have developed knee problems and don't know if I will ever be able to do it again. The pounds are adding on like crazy and my clothes no longer fit. :(

 

I am Burm, Zumba-holic in withdrawal. :(

[fergusonvt]

Second class this morning since my cruise. It's good to be back into it. No weight gain on this vacation but I ate a lot of salad and wasn't impressed with the desserts which helped I'm sure.

 

Sent from my LePanII using Tapatalk 2

[Member123]

Sorry, my first post sent before I finished.

 

Anyway, I was going to zumba 4 or 5 times a week and getting fit while having a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I have developed knee problems and don't know if I will ever be able to do it again. The pounds are adding on like crazy and my clothes no longer fit. :(

 

I am Burm, Zumba-holic in withdrawal. :(

 

Hello! Welcome!

 

When I first started Zumba... in late 2010.. I also developed what I would call a knee problem. You don't give us much detail about yours, but I would assume it's pretty bad to have to stop Zumba cold.

 

Being the big researcher that I am, I discovered a few things. The biggest was the supplement glucosamine, which I started taking and it did absolutely wonders for my knee. UPDATE: Since then, I've been exposed to the health benefits of bone broth and, let me tell you, it is a fantastic addition to my diet. I have had some amazing results in how my skin heals, my knee joints feel, etc. since trying to add bone broth to my diet. I do it in the simplest way. Since I have a slow cooker, I just let the bones simmer for as long as 20 to 30 hours and I use the resulting broth as the base for soups. Tonight I'm going to use in making risotto and see how that tastes. There are so many good minerals in this bone broth; it's excellent.

 

OK. That was an aside. But mainly to just discuss some diet additions that might be able to help you in getting your knees healthy.

 

BUT, the main thing that I was doing to my knees was the foot placement that I had during certain Zumba movements. For some reason, I turned my foot at an awkward angle, which resulted in my knee being in a pop position, and it was a killer to my knee joint. I didn't know I was doing this particular movement in an injurious way until Anita visited me and watched me closely during a Zumba class.

 

My advice to you is to really, really look at yourself in a full length mirror and see if you're putting your foot into a weird knee/ankle/foot alignment that would cause you problems. We discussed this problem on this thread ages ago. The movement that was causing me difficulty was in the cumbia choreography.

 

Another thing that can throw your knee alignment into difficulty is an imbalance between the strength of your quadriceps and hamstrings. Do you do any exercise other than Zumba? The quadriceps are much bigger muscles than hamstrings and many ladies have very tight hamstrings (due to wearing high heels, etc.) so it would be beneficial for you to take a look at that and see if you could improve the flexibility of your hamstrings and look at the relative strength of those muscles.

 

I hope that you can do something to help you in this situation! Of course, shoes are also important. If you have any of those runner stores near you that can analyze the way that your foot hits the ground, you might find that you have a pronation or that other foot strike that I can't remember that a specific type of shoe would be able to help you with.

 

Hopefully we can turn your Zumba :( back into a Zumba :D

[Anita Latte]

Sorry, my first post sent before I finished.

 

Anyway, I was going to zumba 4 or 5 times a week and getting fit while having a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I have developed knee problems and don't know if I will ever be able to do it again. The pounds are adding on like crazy and my clothes no longer fit. :(

 

I am Burm, Zumba-holic in withdrawal. :(

 

Hey Burm! Welcome to the thread...it's highly likely you haven't read too far into the pages and pages that have become this Zumba discussion. So you may not know that I am now a Zumba instructor and that there have been discussions regarding knee issues on this thread. May I ask? What knee problems are you having?

 

I moved last summer and have also lost my Zumba routine...I'm working hard to try to get going on it again...it's so hard to re-establish a routine when you lose it. So I totally relate to the pounds adding on and not fitting in your clothes. Unfortunately.

 

Anyway...there are several things to watch out for with knee issues. I've had several ladies with knee replacements in my classes. Mom deals with her knee and my DH deals with his knee. We can talk seriously about your knee, if you want...

 

OK...I see Mom has posted while I'm writing this...

 

Like Mom mentioned...you can be doing things with your body alignment that can seriously stress the knee joint...and this is beyond doing high impact or other things that you would immediately think of being hard on knees. Before going into such detail though...I thought it would help to hear more about what is really bothering you with your knee.

 

Ferguson...way to go on your cruise! That is, not gaining any weight... I see you have another one scheduled for next year! How fun!

[burm]

Thanks for the welcome.

 

I don't know what my knee problem is.

 

At one point it was so bad that I had to pull myself up the stairs. It almost felt like it was dislocated and there was swelling. By the time I went to the doctor it had started to improve so I did not use the x-ray requisition form he gave me. I thought I would wait until it got worse again.

 

Every time I think it is better, it gets worse again. I can walk easily for short distances but would not want to attempt any form of dance. It is bad enough to prevent me from doing all the things I love but probably not bad enough to show much in an x-ray.

 

The last time I went to a zumba class, I warned the instructor that I might not be able to fully participate, but once the music starts I dance until I drop. I am like the hockey players who manage to finish a game on broken foot.:p The teacher would say "don't do this" but my soul says "do it." :o Then I have to limp home.

 

I did try a knee brace, but it did not help.

 

I will have to catch up on this thread and read what shoes you prefer. I bought Nike Musiques, which research told me was possibly the best zumba shoe, but found them too rigid and ended up using ballet shoes, which bothered my knee the least. If I can go back, I will purchase some Bloch shoes, which have the high arch and split soles. The Musiques are too flat footed for me.

[Anita Latte]

I will have to catch up on this thread and read what shoes you prefer. I bought Nike Musiques, which research told me was possibly the best zumba shoe, but found them too rigid and ended up using ballet shoes, which bothered my knee the least. If I can go back, I will purchase some Bloch shoes, which have the high arch and split soles. The Musiques are too flat footed for me.

 

Nike Musiques didn't work for me after a while. I started with them but found them to be stiff and also started having pain somewhere (I think mine was foot related...), so I switched shoes.

 

My next adventure was to get the Bloch shoes with the split soles. I liked the support of the shoe...they fit very small and you will end up having to order up in size, so I recommend trying several sizes on in person if you can. I was able to find them at a specialty dance store. You want them to fit as tight as possible because the mesh style will stretch with use. However, as I lost weight, my foot changed enough and the shoe had stretched enough that they didn't fit properly any longer...and I replaced those after I almost twisted my ankle in them. I decided that I didn't like the heel and split sole for the majority of Zumba footwork...and the lack of tread on these shoes was very problematic for when you really want your foot planted. My feet would slowly slide out to the sides...it was very annoying. Bloch has come out with another line of dance sneakers that aren't split soles...I haven't tried them yet, but after reading various different experiences similar to mine, I believe they tried to offer a shoe that was best suited for Zumba and similar classes.

 

I replaced the Blochs with Rykas. Not the Studio D that is popular but the Transition? I think? They are more of a mesh shoe...which I enjoyed a lot in the Blochs...and after the Musiques, I will never go back to a non-breathable shoe. Those worked well enough (with a different, more supportive insole...) but I blew out the mesh in the pinky toe rather quickly and felt like the price/value wasn't there for me.

 

So I replaced the Rykas with Nike Free TR. This is a cross training shoe with great lateral support in a modified mesh that is breathable but durable. The sole is different that a dance sneaker but is designed to simulate being as responsive as being barefoot. You can literally wring out the shoe like you can a towel because it has so much "Free" movement. I did replace the insole to one with more support. And I have been using these every since.

 

I did find that they were rough on some surfaces...and so I ordered the shoes from the Zumba site which are advertised as having no tread at all. I was teaching on carpet and these really worked well for that. They didn't have as many problems with losing my footing, like with the Blochs, but they didn't offer the same lateral support as my Nikes, so I only used them for certain classes.

 

Really...you have to find out what works for you...and you may find yourself trying several different shoes to figure out what you really need in a shoe as far as performance and how it fits your foot.

 

As for your knee...

 

Whenever something affects your quality of life...you need to explore the reasons behind it. My DH sees a physical therapist that specialized in sports medicine. I would recommend that you continue to explore why you are having swelling that results from use. This is a problem...and it may be easy enough to correct...but you have to figure out WHY in order to do what you need to do to fix it. The knee support my DH uses is a strap. He has an imbalance in his quad/hamstring strength and flexibility...and so he has a form of tendinitis. The condition of the muscles are causing undo stress on the tendons...and when he does certain movements (he plays tennis), the lack of proper muscle support causes the tendons to be stressed and causes an inflammatory response. He actually wears a strap around his upper calf which is supposed to help and does. Not the full knee sleeve, which doesn't help him at all. It's like this:

 

http://www.lacrossemonkey.com/shock-doctor-sports-medicine-knee-patella-support-strap.html

Edited February 16, 2013 by Anita Latte

[burm]

 

http://www.lacrossemonkey.com/shock-doctor-sports-medicine-knee-patella-support-strap.html

 

 

I hadn't seen anything like that before. It would certainly allow for more freedom of movement, but does it stay in place? I am going to see if anything like that is available here. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Anita Latte]

The following video is an excellent example of proper knee form during Merengue. Notice her feet, which NEVER go pigeon toed (with the toes pointing to each other), but are always absolutely parallel to each other. Her toes, her knees, and her hips are always pointing in the same direction. Forward. Even in her hippy movement (engaging your core!), she manages to maintain proper toe, knee, and hip alignment.

 

 

Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to find form that can cause knee issues...if you watch just the first few minutes of the following videos...you can quickly see what can stress your knee:

 

In the following video, see the instructor dancing on her tip toes. She is doing a twisting motion on the ball of her foot which brings her knees inward so that they overlap each other. This looks very hippy, however, the appeal of the movement is not from proper muscle engagement, it's from poor alignment. If you pause at time 0:14, you will see that the instructor's right foot is raised and not parallel with her left (mirror image, remember). With her twisting motion as she raises her foot, her right knee crosses in front of her left knee and her hips are no longer faces straight forward but are twisted so that the right hip is forward while the left hip is back.

 

At this same frozen frame at time 0:14, check out the student dressed in total black at the back of the room. She is on a different foot from the instructor. Her left foot is raised and parallel to her right foot which is flat on the floor. Her knees are parallel and her hips are straight forward. She is actually engaging her core muscles properly because we can see that her right hip is higher than her left hip. The right side of her body is contracted while the left side is elongated. It isn't super noticeable or exaggerated, but it doesn't have to be to engage the muscles.

 

Watch the marching in action...the instructor has a twisting motion in the legs while the student dressed in black has a clear back and forth motion with her legs. You knee is a hinge joint. It is only made to go back and forth. It is not a ball in socket joint like your hip and shoulder. While there is some flexibility there to rock side to side in the joint...excessive rocking of that hinge joint will irritate it and stress it beyond it's proper function.

 

 

Also in the above video...when they do the side step (it's called the 6 count merengue step in the first video) the instructor is a cheerful, bouncy, twisting mess of alignment in the legs while the student dressed in black has absolutely beautiful form and a very controlled but sensual hip movement with parallel feet (flat and supporting the body), parallel knees, and hips that are moving up and down while facing forward.

 

The twisting motion that I am talking about is very evident in the following video. I only watched the first seconds of this video, because that's all I wanted to point out:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bbw2bAAzTA0

 

Unfortunately, not everyone has the same physiology that contributes to what is painful. Perhaps the tippy toe instructor where's heels a lot and literally can't work well with an elongated calf muscle...which is absolutely essential to creating the proper foundation for proper alignment and muscle engagement if you want to be "hippy" in your merengue marching with good alignment. So the instructor compensates with this twisting motion and maybe she has muscles that have been trained enough to support what she does and is young enough to deal with the consequences. I'm not meaning to pick on anyone and say they are doing something right or wrong...I'm just trying to point out what COULD stress a knee in a Zumba classes...and why anyone would experience pain and/or inflammation at the knee joint from use in a Zumba class.

[Anita Latte]

I hadn't seen anything like that before. It would certainly allow for more freedom of movement, but does it stay in place? I am going to see if anything like that is available here. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I saw these in my grocery store (Publix). This is just one of the best hits on my search. The strap is adjustable with velcro (I think) so that you tighten it to be supportive but not too tight that it cuts off your circulation. Therefore, it totally stays in place.