I have been pretty hard core with my yoga practice lately, going to class three to four times a week. On the days I don’t do yoga, I try to get outside for a walk or a bike ride to take advantage of the great summer weather.

This new summer routine has caused me to miss Zumba® class for over a month and I didn’t realize how much I had missed Zumba until I popped in on a class last week. My decision to attend Zumba class shows just how crazy I am, as it was over 90 degrees that day, and the YMCA where I take my class is not air-conditioned. Let’s just say that I ended up sweating out a lot of toxins.

I had so much fun dancing to the new routines and getting into the salsa music that the hour-long classed slipped by before I knew it. How can you not love a form of exercise that feels like you’re going to a dance party!

If you’ve never tried Zumba, check out this link to find a class near you. If you live near Vermilion, Ohio, Louisy Raynes is one of the best Zumba instructors I’ve experienced. With an infectious grin on her face, she uses current Latin music (the kind you hear on the radio) and combines that with salsa and hip-hop dance moves for a rockin’ Zumba session. I used to think she was smiling because she was laughing at all of us gringos trying to move our hips and shake our booty like she does, but I know it’s because she is loving what she does.

To quote my twenty-something niece Mel as she enthusiastically talks about this subject, “Zumba is the aerobics for my generation.” Well, Mel, it can be for your generation, but it’s for mine too—Zumba rocks!

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