Why Zumba Might Not Be What You Think

"I could never do Zumba."

It's a phrase I've heard countless times over the years.

Usually it's accompanied by a smile and a slightly apologetic shrug, as though the person has already decided that whatever happens inside a Zumba class simply isn't for them.

Sometimes they tell me they're not fit enough. Others worry they'll be the oldest person in the room, or that they have "two left feet". Quite often, they confess that they haven't exercised for years and are convinced everyone else will know exactly what they're doing.

The interesting thing is that almost every one of those assumptions is based on imagination rather than experience.

Somewhere along the way, Zumba has developed a reputation for being fast, frantic and only suitable for naturally coordinated people with endless energy. Bright colours, huge stages and fitness conventions have helped create an image that can feel exciting to some people, but intimidating to many others.

And yet, every week I watch people walk into my class carrying those very same fears. By the time they leave an hour later, they're usually smiling and saying something along the lines of, "That was nothing like I expected."

That, to me, is one of the greatest compliments I can receive.

The programme has evolved... and so have I

This year Zumba celebrates its 25th anniversary, and there's a good reason it has stood the test of time.

Like all successful fitness programmes, it hasn't stood still. It has evolved alongside the people who love it.

There are now many different styles of Zumba, from the gentler pace of Zumba Gold to classes designed for children, aqua fitness and even seated participants. The philosophy has always been about making movement accessible through music, but each instructor brings their own personality, experience and teaching style into every class.

Zumba has evolved, and so have I

I've been teaching for quite a few years now, and if I'm honest, my own classes have evolved too.

When I first qualified, I probably believed what many instructors believe at the beginning of their careers – that every class had to be full-on from start to finish. More energy, more speed, more intensity.

Experience has taught me something rather different.

I've come to realise that what most people need isn't necessarily a harder workout. They need one they'll actually enjoy enough to come back to next week.

After all, there's little value in exhausting someone so completely that they spend the next fortnight recovering.

Consistency has always been far more powerful than intensity.

The people in the middle

One of the things I've noticed over the years is that many people don't fit neatly into the categories the fitness industry often creates.

They're not looking for high-intensity training six days a week.

Equally, they're not quite ready for the gentler pace of Zumba Gold.

They're somewhere in between.

Perhaps they're in their forties or fifties and finding that their bodies don't recover quite as quickly as they once did. Perhaps they've recently retired and are trying to establish new routines. Some are returning after illness, surgery or injury, while others have simply lost confidence after years away from organised exercise.

These are wonderful people who still want to move, laugh and improve their fitness, but without feeling they're competing against anyone else.

Over time, I've realised that my Tuesday evening class has naturally become a home for many of them.

Energy doesn't have to mean exhaustion

The fitness industry has spent years convincing us that exercise only counts if we finish completely worn out.

If we're not gasping for breath, dripping in sweat or aching for three days afterwards, somehow we've failed. I couldn't disagree more.

As we get older, our relationship with exercise often changes. We stop chasing punishment and start looking for something that leaves us feeling stronger, happier and more energised.

That's exactly the atmosphere I've tried to create.

Yes, we work hard.

Yes, your heart rate will rise.

Yes, you'll probably leave with rosy cheeks and a smile on your face.

But you'll also leave feeling as though your body has been looked after rather than put through battle.

For me, that's a far healthier relationship with movement.

The bridge between two worlds

People often ask me how my Tuesday evening class differs from my Zumba Gold sessions.

I usually describe it as a bridge.

It has more energy than Zumba Gold and introduces slightly bigger movements and a little more intensity. But it isn't the kind of class where you're expected to leap around the room or spend an hour trying to keep up with impossible choreography.

Every routine can be adapted.

Some people make the movements bigger.

Others keep everything low impact.

Some know every routine by heart, while others simply follow along and enjoy the music.

They're all getting exactly what they came for.

That's one of the things I love most about Zumba. Two people can dance side by side, doing slightly different versions of the same routine, and both leave feeling they've had a fantastic workout.

Nobody cares if you go the wrong way

If I could remove one fear from every new person's mind, it would be this one.

Nobody is judging you.

Honestly everyone is far too busy remembering what comes next themselves.

In fact, if you've ever been to one of my classes, you'll know that occasionally we all end up heading in completely the wrong direction.

Sometimes that includes me!

When it happens, we laugh, turn around and carry on, there isn't a prize for perfection.

There never has been, the only thing that matters is that you are moving.

Just a few of the ladies who attend Tuesday night Zumba

More than fitness

One of my favourite moments as an instructor isn't teaching a new routine or finding the perfect playlist.

It's looking around the room halfway through a class and realising that, for those forty-five minutes, nobody is thinking about work, hospital appointments, family worries or the endless list of jobs waiting at home.

They're simply living in the moment.

Music has an extraordinary ability to do that.

It lifts mood, reduces stress and gives us permission to let go for a little while. Add movement, friendly faces and a room full of laughter, and something rather special begins to happen.

I've watched friendships form that have lasted for years. I've seen people arrive quietly on their own and leave chatting with someone they've only just met. Time and time again I've watched confidence return, almost without people noticing it happening.

That's the real magic of group exercise , fitness is only part of the story.

Perhaps it's time to rethink Zumba

If you've always imagined Zumba as something only for dancers, fitness fanatics or people twenty years younger than you, perhaps it's worth challenging that perception.

Modern Zumba is wonderfully varied.

And my Tuesday evening class sits comfortably between the gentler pace of Zumba Gold and the higher-energy style that many people associate with traditional Zumba.

It's designed for real people with real lives.

People who want to improve their fitness without feeling intimidated.

People who enjoy good music.

People who don't mind laughing at themselves occasionally.

People who understand that movement should be something to look forward to rather than something to fear.

After sixteen years of paticipating in Zumba, I've learned that the hardest part isn't the exercise.

It's taking that first step through the door, it's showing up.

Everything after that tends to get a little easier.

And who knows?

You might just discover that Zumba isn't what you thought it was at all.

Why not come and try my Tuesday night Zumba class held every week. 6pm. Patcham Memorial Hall.

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