Michelle Cabral was ready for another night of fun with her friends.
But she wasn’t at a club. She was inside a school cafeteria in a quiet neighborhood preparing to teach an exercise class.
“It’s almost like you’re going out with a bunch of friends to go clubbing, but you don’t have to worry about the cigarette smoke or the crazy men coming over to you,” Cabral joked.
If all this sounds a bit odd, you don’t know Zumba.
The Latin-influenced fitness program has been gaining popularity for the past year or so in the county, with classes sprouting up at a host of local gyms, community centers, and through the county’s Recreation and Parks Department, which also offers children’s Zumba.
Cabral is currently teaching three classes through the department, including the one that met Wednesday at Piney Orchard Elementary School in Odenton.
Long after students had departed for the day, more than 30 women clad in sweats filed into the cafeteria and got ready to salsa, merengue and mambo their way to better bodies. Zumba is a kind of hybrid of Latin dancing and traditional aerobics, with an emphasis on the dancing to create a fun, fast-paced fitness environment.
“I think it’s great for the mind, body and soul,” Cabral said. “It just feels so good.”
So good, in fact, that dietitian Nicole Mazur is thinking about getting certified to teach classes herself. She’s in her third session with Cabral.
“I love the energy,” Mazur said. “I think it’s the music in combination with the dance.”
It’s also an alternative to “boring” workouts on the treadmill or other more traditional cardio work at the gym, she explained.
“They don’t go fast,” she added. “Here, the music and energy keeps you going. You don’t even feel like you’re exercising. This is the first class I’ve ever looked forward to coming to.”
Anne Raup, a Piney Orchard resident who was standing nearby, said the 45-minute session seems like it takes 10 minutes. The intensity shows up in perspiration. “I never, ever sweat when I exercise,” she said. “But (with) this, I’m drenched in five minutes.”
Cabral, whose outfit included black exercise pants and a white tank top that said “Zumbalicious,” taught the class from the stage at the end of the cafeteria. Several times during the night, she invited a couple participants to join her onstage. Even the initial warm-ups looked like a dance, albeit a bit slower than the ones that followed.
“It’s the moves,” said Rosie Neely of Annapolis. “You get to shake it up a little bit. I’ve always done dance (and) I’ve always done aerobics. But now, I get a combination of both.”
It’s probably safe to say Melinda McArdle is more at home with Zumba than most instructors.
She teaches it in the basement of her Annapolis home, which is equipped with a sports court. Three times a week, McArdle holds houlong Zumba sessions in the space. She also teaches at a couple local fitness clubs as well.
“The biggest thing about Zumba is that it’s fun and easy to follow,” McArdle said. “I think a lot of people are intimidated when you say ‘dance.’ Most people have a very negative opinion of themselves and their dance ability. (But) if you can breathe, you can dance.”
And like Cabral, she starts off classes slowly, building to the more intense and involved routines. She coaxes her students along, but also realizes different people have different skill sets.
“(It’s) fun … and nonjudgmental,” said Tracy Exarhakis of Annapolis, who smiled continuously during the class. “There’s no expertise required.”
Terry Sindler, also of Annapolis, said the comfortable atmosphere also contributes to the classes’ appeal. “The camaraderie keeps you going and giving a little extra,” she said.
“This is more friendly,” added Jan Funkhouser of Edgewater, who has lost 25 pounds since September, thanks to Zumba and a nutrition plan.
Although a few men have been known to attend Zumba classes, it’s definitely a rarity. Raup’s explanation is that men might be a bit embarrassed by the amount of hip shaking involved in the routines.
“It’s too bad more men don’t feel comfortable doing it,” she said.
Added McArdle, “It’s movement that’s so far out of the box for men.”
There wasn’t too much time in either class to ponder the issue further, though, because the music had started. “I want to see big legs,” McArdle said over the thumping rhythm. “Go for the gusto. Dance like your life depended on it.”
And the women did, as sweat beaded on their foreheads and their expressions grew more determined. At the end of the session, everyone looked like they’d worked out hard, yet all were happy.
“It puts a smile on your face,” McArdle said. “It’s a mood lifter — and that’s worth the price of admission.”
SOURCE: MARYLAND GAZETTE
Tags: aerobics, exercise, hybrid, Latin dancing, Latin-influenced fitness, mambo, merengue, salsa, Zumba
