Zumba lives up to its hype, though perhaps not its price (RL)

[thistlechaser]

I'm suspicious of anything that is sold on an infomercial, so originally I wrote Zumba off. I knew it was being taught in gyms, but that didn't counter my infomercial wariness. However, when I saw a sign up at work for classes, that was finally enough to make me think it might be something real and useful. (I work in Silicon Valley for a big tech company, there's not usually a high level of belief in bunk floating around.)

Unfortunately most DVD Zumba sets are $70, which is way more than the usual price of an exercise tape. Luckily there are ways around that, and I borrowed a copy of a beginner set.

It really is a fun workout -- fun and hard, which is a really good combo. It takes all the good parts of the dance workouts I was already doing (samba, bollywood, bellydancing, hiphop) and puts them into one place. The music was fun and made me want to move (bonus!), and the instructors were good to look at without being distractingly attractive.

That being said, I can't say it's worth $70. I'd certainly pay the usual workout tape price ($20-$30) for it, but not more than twice that. (Rereading this and thinking about it more, I'm not sure if this is fair to say. I'm intending to make this my new go-to workout, doing it every day until I get bored of it... can you put a price on an exercise you're okay with doing every day?)

Zumba on wiki, in case you're not familiar with it.

Comments

[hamburger.livejournal.com]

Haha, my older sister actually teaches Zumba classes. She adores it.

And the classes are much much much cheaper than that DVD. ;)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but in the classes people would see me! EEEEK! That's what's great about doing it alone at home: I can do it wrong and it doesn't matter, so long as I keep moving I'm getting the exercise! I'd be soooooo self-conscious in front of other people. :P

[pure-trance.livejournal.com]

Also I don't really have time to go to a class, I get off at 6pm, then go from Santa Clara (Great America Pkwy) to San Jose (Cupertino border) to get my son from my in-laws', then home to San Jose (right next to the airport)...

[livarot.livejournal.com]

i'm a big fan of exercising with the wii, but that'll cost you a bigger hunk of change than $20-$30. the advantage is that the workout changes on its own, so you don't get as bored as fast

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I did look at the Wii version, but that was even more expensive! I have Just Dance and Just Dance II on Wii that I love to exercise to.

[veloxe.livejournal.com]

One of the people in Meat Department at work has been using Wii Active (EA sports active 2 I believe) and it seems to be working for him. He's always been a bit chunky and he's been slimming down over the last while. And he says he's only going at "easy" mode and that's still more then enough for him heh.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I don't have that one! I think the non-dance one I have is Wii Fit Two. Something like that.

I'm glad it's working for him! Making exercise fun often does. :D

[livarot.livejournal.com]

when i was doing it, it improved my strength. i've been lazy as of late though

[pure-trance.livejournal.com]

Can you just email me the link I can't reply to you grr.

[pure-trance.livejournal.com]

grimrock@gmail.com

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Emailed!