getting over the slump

I don't like working out. There, I said it for the record! Perspiration is not one of my favorite pastimes and unlike most other people who are gym junkies, I just don't get that rush that they say you're supposed to get from exercise. I've started a whole buncha home workout/DVD programs--Slim in 6, Masala Bhangra Workout, Sweating in the Spirit--but they're all just catching dust. It's not that they weren't fun but I can't say whether or not they 'worked' because I just didn't stay consistent with them... I got lazy, slacked off, then did absolutely nothing.

And then there was Zumba...

Disclaimer: This is not a paid endorsement. I am receiving no compensation from Zumba fitness or anyone else. Everything that follows is purely my opinion.

image credit: http://www.queenbeessd.com

I started doing Zumba last summer as part of a workplace fitness challenge. It was a live class that started out with just my co-workers and then exploded into something much bigger. For me, it was the exercise intervention that I had been needing! Its an aerobic workout based on movements and music from around the world, but focuses on Latin/Spanish flava. Being the world music lover that I am, Zumba had me at the first couple of songs... and then there is the dance component. I've never been a dancer, per se, but I know that I've got natural rhythm so learning bellydancing, salsa, merengue, cumbia, bhangra, calypso/soca and reggaeton moves has been a welcome challenge for me. My instructor is Latina and has a classical dance background, so she really takes the techniques to another level [Did I mention that she's freakin' awesome?!]

Surprising to even me, I stayed faithful to Zumba for several months, without interruption. I was having a blast twice a week while getting the exercise that my body so badly needed. I didn't loose much weight in pounds, but the inches, which mattered more to me, were melting off. By the 6-month mark, my clothes were fitting noticeably better and I had a revived confidence in my physical appearance. And then came this past summer...

My "workout woe-is-me" attitude eventually slithered back into my life and I became a bum. First it was down to once a week, then once every other week, and then none at all. By the time my instructor took a week off to go to the Zumba convention, I unconsciously called it quits. That was in July... didn't go back to class until today. Of course, by now, my clothes got more 'snug' and I could see the difference in my body composition. Fat > almost everything else. But it's amazing to think about how much time I let pass without doing anything physical (except a friendly game of kickball that kicked my butt because I was so outta shape).

Speaking of "butts", I've taken the first step to getting mine back into Zumbalicious shape! I'm too young to let my health suffer on account of sheer laziness. Besides--this shouldn't make a difference, but it's pure vanity on my part; just so ya know--now that I'm back in touch with a certain someone, I have this sudden, strange motivation to look hot. *sigh* Just pray for me on that one, please! But the good part is that I hope to use whatever motivation I need to to get up outta this slump and achieve the results I want. My goal is to look trimmer by/before Christmas... and then proceed to pig out on everything under the sun! LOL

Be blessed (and let me know if you're a Zumbaholic, too!)
pVI