Last night Jamie and I attended our first Zumba class at the JCC. Zumba? What?

From the official Zumba website:

ZUMBA is a fusion of Latin and International music – dance themes that create a dynamic, exciting, effective fitness system! The routines feature aerobic/fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body. Zumba utilizes the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximize caloric output, fat burning and total body toning. It is a mixture of body sculpting movements with easy to follow dance steps.

I first heard about Zumba on a segment of the Today show back in October. It looked like fun. Ann Curry seemed to be enjoying herself.

Taking an aerobics class at the JCC is an interesting experience. There were girls as young as seven and women as old as 70 participating. But everyone gave it their all, even though we mostly looked like idiots trying to shimmy and shake our hips, and it was a pretty good cardio workout. By the end of the class, my thighs and my abs were a bit sore–proof that I actually worked them.

I’ve been pretty lazy when it comes to working out, but I’m going to try to go to Zumba weekly. Well, except for next Monday when I’ll be in NJ.

This morning, after our physical fitness evaluations at the JCC, J attempted to teach me how to play racquetball. He’s so into it he has his own racket, ball, glove and goggles. I had to borrow a racket and a pair of protective eye wear from the front desk. His were all sleek and Matrix-like, and my goggles were scratched and had a stretched-out elastic that went around my head. But that’s neither here nor there.

Sadly, I was not as interested in the sport as J would have liked. I would really like to meet the people who thought sticking a couple of people in a large white box with a ball whizzing past them was a good idea. Sorry, but I don’t like little rubber balls flying at my face — or any part of my body. The idea that I’m supposed to run around this box chasing balls that are bouncing off walls is absurd (and sounds kinda dirty, no?). I tried to get into it for J’s sake, I really did, but I was laughing too hard out of nerves and the absurdity of it all. He got annoyed by my apparent lack of trying, but I did the best I could. Some people are just not meant to do certain things. Me, I’m not meant to be a racquetball player, and I’m OK with that.