New Year. New Me.

I’ve mentioned to you before the things that makes me smile and one of them being Zumba Fitness…If you have not heard of the Zumba craze then you need to take a class asap…..every gym, every dance studio offers them so no matter where you live you’ll be able to find a class nearby.  So, in honor of my 38th birthday this weekend (shout out to all the Scorpios!), I decided to take my love for Zumba to the next level and become a certified Zumba instructor…and wow what a day!!!

So, here’s how my Zumba project went on Sunday…

The all day class was held at Danse Elite in Mamaorneck, NY…it was encouraged that we bring extra pair of workout gear, snacks and tons of water, cause of the extreme dance routines that will be shown to us.

Registration began at 8:30a, so me being the early riser (all thanks to my son) I entered the studio at 8:15a and wow, I was in shock to see that the studio room was already filled with inspiring instructors just like me.

For attire, I wore my Black Adidas Essentials Capri pants, a Zumba sports bra, and a Zumba workout top  – Oh yea!

Once registration ended, we were welcomed with a 1 hour Master Class led by Aileen Padilla, our training instructor from CA. With about 75 students, I made sure to get a spot in the front so I could see the instructor. It’s SOO much easier to do zumba classes when you can actually see the instructor.

Tunes from JLO, Pitbull, Michael Jackson and other high energy sounds of Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and Reggeaton filled the room.  Whew! what a great way to start the day….

Then after a short break, we got started with our lectures and dug into our training material: agenda, manual, ZIN pamphlet, and DVD/CD set.

We alternated lectures and information sessions with hands-on sessions where we learned and practiced the four rhythms of Basic 1: merengue, salsa, cumbia, and reggaeton. We learned a lot of useful information during the lectures and in the hands-on parts, we learned how to do the basic moves of each rhythm along with some variations for arms, legs, and how to make each move more fitness-y.

Thank goodness I packed a few of my favorite treats – Kashi fruit bars – because by noon, I was famished and needed a pick-me-up.  We did break for lunch at 1p, but since was craving anything to heavy I settled for a banana and few more of my Kashi treats.

After lunch we broke into small groups from steps we learn…and before I knew it class was at a close.

Wow!  6:00p already???!!  Where did the time go????

So now I can officially say that I am a Zumba instructor! Now I just have to find somewhere to teach! Anyone looking for one in the NY area???

So by 6:15p I was heading home to relax with hubby and Lil B…

I’m so glad I did the zumba workshop today! I thought the workshop was really informative and very encouraging. I met some cool zumba-holics and learned a LOT. I feel like there’s so much positive energy flowing through me from my zumba experiences and I can’t wait to see where my love of zumba takes me. Here we go!

What new projects are you working on that you are truly excited about?  Do tell!