Woohoo! One Month Down!

Since January 1^st, I have been determined to make this year different. So far, I have to say that I am pretty proud of myself for sticking with my commitment to fit more physical activity into my weekly schedule. Working out is now a priority and, when I can, I try to schedule the rest of week around my workout routine. If you’re like me, you get bored running on the treadmill or lifting weights in the gym. I’m a group fitness gal and truly find it a pleasure to workout with others. Not only do I push myself further, but the time seems to just fly by when I’m having fun working out with friends.

This year I decided to try something new and somehow convinced a few of my friends from H3 to join me. Many of you have taken this class during your visit to H3 but believe it or not, very few of us staff members have actually attempted this high-energy, music-thumping aerobic class. I’m talking about Zumba, the dance fitness class that has mothers, daughters and even grandmothers strutting their stuff on the dance floor. Don’t get me wrong, plenty of men Zumba too (only the boldest and bravest J)!

According to the official Zumba Fitness^® website, Zumba is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music, created by Grammy Award-winning producers, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive. Since its inception in 2001, the Zumba program has grown to become the world's largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program with more than 12 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries.

So, five H3 staff members and I decided to step outside our comfort zones to see what all the buzz was about. After attending the first class, I knew I was hooked. Whether I look good doing it or not, I love to dance and the thing I love about Zumba most is that everyone is encouraged to put their own flava into the moves. It’s fairly easy to pick up and everyone is cheering one another on. You can make it as intense as you’d like, averaging several hundred calories burned per session, but above all, you’re there to have fun. The variety of ages in the classes also surprised me. The women who attend our local Zumba studio are there every night giving it their all and I find their excitement contagious and exhilarating.

The moral of this story is, we’ve made it one month into the year and we’re still going strong with our goals! If you think you’ve fallen off the wagon a little, pick yourself back up starting today! It’s never too late to re-dedicate your life to health. If you’re getting bored with your routine, try something new. Maybe you’ll like it, maybe you won’t but you’ll never know until you try. I’ll share the two mantras that have really stuck with me this year and hopefully, they’ll help you as well.

“Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today,” and “Just for today I will…”

So get out there and as my Zumba instructor would say, “Shake it!”

(I found the image below on the Hilton Head Health Pinterest page. It pretty much sums up how I feel during Zumba, which is pretty awesome in case you couldn't tell. :-) )