Top 10 Reasons to Try Zumba

by Victoria M. Johnson

Fifteen million people in 180 countries have made Zumba a world-wide phenomenon.  Zumba has become a dance-fitness revolution.  But what is it about this workout that is so special?  The same reasons why I think you'll love it:

1.    Hear great music.

         The exhilarating, mostly Latin music provides a festive atmosphere.

2.    Dance to the great music.

         You don't even have to know how to dance.

3.    Learn new dance styles in easy to follow steps.

         Your zumba certified instructor will cue you to their choreography steps in salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, and more.

4.    No experience required.

         Zumba is for anyone able to exercise.  No one expects you to be perfect.  No one expects you to know the steps.  Just follow the cues at your comfort level.

5.    No special equipment required.

         You don't have to buy expensive equipment.  You just need workout clothes that you probably already have and workout shoes that suit your needs.

6.    Meet other people.

         Come for the physical fitness; find camaraderie in the friendly classes.

Zumba instructor Victoria M. Johnson

7.    It's fun!

         You'll have so much fun that you'll forget you're burning calories.

8.    It's a total body workout.

         Gain strength and stamina.  Zumba helps improve cardiovascular health, muscle conditioning, and flexibility.

9.     Zumba is wonderful for the brain.

         Following along with the choreography gives your brain a workout too.  (In a fun way, of course.)  Zumba is good for your mental health.

10. Zumba is fantastic for the soul. 

         All that fun and movement reduces stress.  At the end of class, believe me, you'll feel energized and amazing.

Are you convinced to give Zumba a try?  I enjoyed Zumba class so much that I recently became a certified instructor.  If you live in Santa Cruz County in California, you're in luck.  That's where I teach on Sunday mornings at Cabrillo Fitness.  You can also check out my Zumba page.  Wherever you live I'm sure there's a class near you.  Do you already take Zumba?  What do you love about it?  Tell us in the comments below.

In addition to giving motivating zumba classes, Victoria M. Johnson knew by the time she was ten that she wanted to be a writer.  She loves telling stories and she's happiest when creating new characters and new plots.  Avalon Books and Montlake Romance published Victoria's fiction debut, The Doctor’s Dilemma.  Her other fiction book is a collection of romance short stories titled, The Substitute Bride and a novella, Hot Hawaiian Christmas. She is also the writer and director of four short films and two micro documentaries.   Visit Victoria's website at http://VictoriaMJohnson.com for inspiration and tips and find her Amazon author page or connect with her on Pinterest and Twitter.

Dancing Into a Story

Have you ever found yourself writing, without premeditation, about someone from your distant past, even your childhood, whom you have not thought of during all the intervening years? There they are, just as you had last seen them, clear and vital, presiding over a part in your story that you wouldn't have envisioned when you began the work.

Sometimes they are protagonist, or antagonist, but more often they are the deuteragonist or tritagonist who hold your fictional world together in the populated corners that give your story and main characters depth. 

When I was a fifth grader, my mother decided that this tomboy was going to learn how to walk, sit and stand like a young lady. Every Saturday morning, I walked up to the mansion on Sutro Hill where Mrs. Evelyn King held her dance classes in her own studio, complete with barre, walls of full length mirrors, a stage and a sun room also with barre and a view across the city to the Bay.

I was not the only girl in my school class attending these lessons but I may have been the only one who got more than good posture out of the years of ballet, jazz and ethnic dances. 
At least in terms of sparking a lifetime of creative inspiration and opportunity.

Not only did I learn to dance, I developed a love of music. For me, the two are inextricably linked. I rarely listen to music without also dancing—if not full-on with my fingers and/or toes.

Yet, I knew from the first lesson dancing was not my future. Choreography was fun and performing was a thrill but to be a professional dancer required the one element I didn't bring to the barre every Saturday morning. Passion.

That ingredient was reserved, even then, for writing, for story-telling, for making worlds with words. Being able to transform all the joys and heartbreaks of growing up into stories is a most wonderful thing.

So, Mrs. King, thank you for inspiring me to nourish this passion. Perhaps, if you were still with us you might recognize yourself in Sharon, the dance teacher in my new re-release, Salsa Dancing with Pterodactyls. But, if not, know that I created her as a tribute to you and all the other teachers who have launched their students into the world of creativity.