Megan R.

2010.October.01

My name is Megan R., a 35 year old mother of twins. I want to tell you how Zumba changed my life!!!!

As a child I was lucky enough to travel around the world with my family. I was always fascinated with other cultures, especially their dance and music. In my pre-teen years I took lessons in ballet, jazz and highland dance. It was only after my classmates started teasing me for my slightly larger body that I gave up dance. I became embarrassed by my weight and felt like I did not belong in the class with all the slim girls. Of course, this did not help me when it came to staying fit. During my teen and adult years I struggled with my weight. At my heaviest I tipped the scale at 230 pounds! I have tried many diets that have helped me to shed some pounds, but I never really stuck to an exercise routine and therefore, inevitably, put the weight back on.

Last summer [2009] I was feeling uncomfortable with my body. I was starting to find size 16 clothes too tight. I cried one morning when none of my clothes fit nicely. I was 190 pounds and knew I had to make a change.

So, that night I picked up a fitness magazine for motivation. I was flipping through the magazine and stumbled upon a small article titled “3 Zumba moves to tone your body” They were based on Latin dance moves and this piqued my interest. I decided to google “Zumba” and watched videos on You Tube of people dancing, partying and having fun. The Zumba routines not only focused on Latin dance, but other forms of international dance as well. I was ready to make a change and Zumba looked to be exciting and fun! I felt like I hit the jackpot when I learned that there were Zumba lessons offered in Carleton Place!

I had my first class in September of 2009. I was a bit nervous, but everyone seemed friendly and Louise was so welcoming. I had so much fun in the class I knew I was hooked. It took a few classes to get my co-ordination, but it got easier with each class. I set a goal to lose weight for my friends destination wedding in April. I went to classes 3 times a week and followed my diet. I had lost 30 pounds by January and have lost almost 40 pounds so far and I am wearing a size 8 pant! Zumba is about great music, having fun and getting fit!

Since I LOVE Zumba so much, I have recently become a certified Zumba Instructor and I know that no matter what may come, Zumba will forever be a part of my life!

Thank you Louise and Tom for making exercise so much fun!

 

April G.

2010.October.13

Hi all. My name is April. I am a 31 year old mother of 3 beautiful kids. I work a full time job that includes shift work.

This is what Zumba has done for me:

By the end of January 2010 I was really starting to feel the winter blues. I was getting myself into a funk and decided that I needed to do something that would get me out of the house and would be just for me. A co-worker had told me about a workout class that she had gone to in Carleton Place called ZumbaFunFit. She described the class to me and it sounded like a lot of fun. That night after work I googled it and thought yeah right!!!!

I have always loved to dance (although never been very good at it and never had any formal training) and the thought of taking a dance class kept me thinking about Zumba. I decided one night that I was going to give it a shot. People there were friendly and encouraging. I learned that night that it was ok to laugh at myself and that no one really cared if I missed a step or went the wrong way (2 things that I still do to this day). I quickly fell in love with the idea of Latin and International inspired dance mixed with aerobics! I was attending 3 classes a week and sometimes that didn’t feel like enough. I was happy to be having some much needed ‘me’ time.

After about a month of classes I was starting to see a difference not only in the way I was feeling, but also in the way that I was looking. I am only 5’2 (if I’m lucky) and I have always thought of myself as being “shapely”. I was wearing a size 14 pant and was 177lbs. When I noticed that I was losing some of the unwanted inches I made a life-style change and stopped eating the junk and started eating healthy.

I continued going to as many classes as I could and found that if I had missed a class because of work or a holiday, I would be looking for one in the city to go to. My husband has described it as an addiction (but in a good way).

By September of 2010 I have lost over 40lbs and am wearing a size 5/6 pant. My outlook on everything has changed and I always find myself dancing.

In June of 2010 I took my love and addiction to Zumba to the next level. I was fortunate enough to attend an Instructor Certification course in Ottawa with a couple of very good Zumba friends (my Instructor Louise being one of them).

Louise and Tom, you have changed my life without even trying! If I ever need to get out of a funk and pull my spirits up all I need to do is go to one of your classes.

 

Cathy B.

2010.October.21

My name is Cathy, I am 49 years old and have been going to Zumba since February 2009.

 

Being a Dietitian, I know of the importance of eating right and exercising. Exercise is important at all stages of life especially for women in the pre to post menopausal years. This is a time when a person's bones start to thin as a normal part of aging. A calcium-rich diet in combination with exercise can slow this process.

 

For myself, I was looking to increase my exercise level. The only exercise I was doing was walking the dog on a daily basis. But as my dog was getting older, she was not wanting to walk for more than 15 minutes a day.

 

Therefore, when my friend call me in Feb. 2009 and asked me to go to Zumba with her, I decided to go.

 

I am not the type of person who enjoys team sports or even going to the gym to lift weights or walk on a treadmill. Maybe Zumba was what I was looking for!

 

Not knowing what to expect, I spent my first few sessions laughing at my poor coordination and inability to 'keep up'.

 

But I was hooked and have been going approximately twice a week since then.

 

Zumba has changed my life by increasing my coordination and flexibilty and making me feel good. And the music is great to dance to! For me it is also a social activity and Louise and Tom make it fun and challenging!

This is definitely my type of exercise!

 

Thanks Louise and Tom!!!!