The fall fashion trends for fitness

About a month ago, I caught an article on Skinny Mom entitled "8 Fall Fitness Fashion Must-haves" written by Holly McConnell. It was interesting to read, her work is well researched and comprehensive. But after reading it, I mostly forgot about it. Here's why (and no insult to the author is intended here...): Of the eight outfits pictured, only one had a color other than some shade of black or grey. Wow. Reminds me of me eight months ago, "going crazy" with that one blue top... So like I said, I more or less read it and forgot it, until Zumba came along and released some new merchandise for their fall collection. As I was browsing the new items, I suppose my memory must have been jogged or something and I went searching to find the article once again because I wanted to compare the trends the author wrote about, with newest Zumba clothes. Lo and behold! Consistencies! So I decided to post about these and show the comparisons. Zumba fashion is somewhat unique as far as active-wear goes and if you aren't in to Zumba, or not into it enough yet to justify owning clothes, you might not realize just how unique it is. So, I'm going to show you a piece from the article (always on the far left) next to a piece from Zumba's fall releases (always to the right of that) and quote the appropriate sections of the article in the captions of the pictures. Two things before I get into all that... First, please know that I am in no way affiliated with, or compensated by, any of the clothing manufacturers mentioned in this post. My opinions and thoughts are my own and I am just commenting on clothing and trends that I find interesting. Second, if you happen to be a guy and are reading this, sorry but it's all ladies' fashions. And with that out of the way, let's look at some clothes...

"1. Stand Out In Prints: Be bold and stand out in printed pants. Be careful of the size of the print and the business of the pattern. Keep it simple with a plain top. There have also been a few yoga pants that have printed seems and waist bands rather than full out patterns. Personally, I am loving the ones pictured [above] from Old Navy! Check them out here. (photo credit)"

This is an example of trend number one: A printed pant. I love the author's advice about being bold using a print. I also really love Old Navy, which is where the black pants come from. In my comparison picture, you can really see the difference. Zumba's definition of a bold, stand out printed pant is just a little bolder and that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of this post. Would I wear those particular black pants to Zumba? No. Yoga? Yeah, probably. Although, as I mentioned in my previous post, I wouldn't buy this pink pair of pants for Zumba either, because even though Zumba calls them a cargo capri, they don't have any ribbons. Grr. I -would- have bought these except for that... Grr.

"2. Slim fitting tanks are a must! You may think loose clothing will give you more ability to move, but baggy T-shirts and sweats can actually hinder your range of motion.  Plus with the chillier weather, slim fitting tanks are great for layering. I love the Power Y Tank from Lululemon. You can find them here."

This next one is trend number two: A slim fit tank top. The author of the article is correct with regards to baggy t-shirts. Just say no to the saggy baggy t-shirt. The first time I ever took a Zumba class, I made that exact mistake. Classic rookie blunder. I about fainted from overheating in it for one thing, but it kept twisting around and bunching up, making it hard to do arm movements. The comparison here is once again in the color. I don't know about you dear readers, but when I look at these two images side by side, my eye keeps sliding over to the right, to where the color is. This pink tank has orange trim and shares the same print as the bright pink pants in the previous photo. Zumba also released this top in a dark slate color that has lime trim.

"3. Layers and Layers: When the weather starts to change, this light weight shirt is a must-have. Plus it’s great for layering over your tank because it is lightweight. Armholes are an added plus! Shop the look here."

On to number three: Layers. Not a bad idea when you live in a part of the world where the seasons change very noticeably. The author has a point with that. I've said it before, but I'll mention it again, when you go out to Zumba, dress for the activity. That's more important than being comfortable for the two minute walk from your car to the building. Layers are a good way to adjust for this. The lady on the far left has on a grey long-sleeved pullover over a black tank top. Zumba, as you can see, takes a slightly different standpoint on layering. The lady in the middle is wearing a shrug over her sports bra, and the lady on the right has on a hoodie over hers. Yeah...I said hoodie. If you follow the hoodie link, you'll be able to see a back view. In this comparison, we're dealing with both color and style. Zumba's style is a lot less covered up, but there's a good reason for that beyond simply being a fashion statement. The high calorie burn that Zumba is famous for generates a lot of heat and sweat. Cooler is always better when it comes to your Zumba gear. You don't want to almost faint, like I did, wearing a big cotton t-shirt (...that belongs to your husband...). Something like the look on the left would be great for a yoga class where things aren't as likely to get as hot and sweaty (excepting of course hot yoga), or perhaps an outdoor run where the coolness of the environment requires some warmer clothing.

"4. Wrap it Up: Head Wraps are the perfect answer to bad gym hair! Plus they keep your ears warm during a brisk run. Shop Coolie has a great selection and they are fabulous! Check them out here."

Heading to number four...heh, see what I did there? A head wrap. In this case, Zumba's version is more of a head band than a wrap and you get all three colors for $15. It does almost the same job as the wrap on the left, it just won't keep your ears warm. Then again, that's not exactly necessary unless your Zumba class is outside...in November...

"5. Form Fitting and Figure Flattering: Under Armor, famous for fabrics that wick away moisture and provide great support, makes the “Shatter” Capri of light and breathable fabric. They have a bonus super-flattering ruched waistband to hide any potential muffin top exposure and are said to make the posterior region look fantastic. Every fitness fashion diva should have pants that make the most of the figure and the workout at the same time!  Find these here via Foot Locker."

Form fitting five: Tights. I think Under Armor is great, I really do. I own a few things by them, but I know which pair of tights I'd rather wear...if I was going to forgo my cargoes at any rate... Which pair do you think screams "fun" and which pair calmly says "practical"? These Zumba tights are the heather grey but they also come in slate.

"6. Racerbacks: Lucy’s Yoga In The City Racerback is a must-have style this fall season. It is fashion-forward, yet highly functional. The racerback design lets you move with ease while the straps stay in place. Plus, its universally flattering fit and sleek design is perfect for yogi’s of all shapes and sizes, proving that you can reach a zen like state while looking chic. The Yoga In The City Racerback retails for $49 and is available in Lucy Black/Asphalt and a beautifully bold Potent Purple/Beauty Berry color. Buy it here."

The best style of exercise top ever is number six: Racerback tanks. Even though the article specifically says it's a perfect top for yoga, this style of top is my absolute favorite for Zumba!; and I admit that I also wear them to yoga... Everything the author has to say about racerback tops is true, and I agree 100%. This black top does have some visual interest with the color-blocking. Apparently, it's also available in a really pretty wine color which you can see if you follow the link provided by the article to the online shop where it's sold. This purple Zumba top is obviously designed to match the pink pants from the first photo, or the grey tights from the previous photo. Zumba tends to do that, sell the same thing in three or four different colors with coordinating separates. This particular top is also available in black and in lime. I'm probably going to buy the lime in the near future.

"7. Urban chic: All the groovy chicks, such as Mary Kate Olsen are wearing harem pants— even if some think they look frumpy and shouldn’t have lasted this long. Get used to them because you will be seeing them everywhere! I think they are so comfy and great for Barre and yoga. Check out this Nike pair available at Nordstrom here."

Number seven, the bright diversion from the festival of black and grey...even if it's not really about the top... Urban chic. Zumba just calls these pants capris. Actually, more specifically, Zumba calls these "Do It For The Fame Capris". The names they come up with for styles and colors always make me smile. I guess flashy clothes deserve flashy names. In any event, these are a looser fitting capri pant than the pink cargoes in the first picture. These are the purple and black versions, but there is a third color called "Go For Green". See what I mean about the names? I don't know about the idea of a harem pant though. It's definitely not for me personally, but then again, there really aren't many bottoms that can pull my attention away from the cargoes. Cargoes belong in a Zumba class the way apples belong in a pie. For real.

"8. Transitional Tops: Go from gym to out to lunch with the girls in this awesome sweater. This sweater works well with tights as the length provides great bum coverage. The long, draping front allows for multiple styles and also looks great belted! Check out this drape cardigan from Zappos here."

Finally, number eight: The transitional top. This is where Zumba maybe looses its edge a little bit... Although perhaps that's a matter of perspective and depends more on your style preferences. The sweater can be worn as part of a gym outfit, or as part of an every-day outfit. The same might not be true of these t-shirts from Zumba. Not everyone would want to wear a shirt with the word "Zumba" splashed across the front outside of a class. Then again, people are perfectly willing to wear shirts with the word "Gap", the word "Aeropostale", or the word "Pink" (Victoria's Secret) on them...hrmm. Personally, I wouldn't wear the sweater as a part of a gym outfit. As an every-day outfit, maybe, but not for exercise. It's too long and drapey in my opinion, even for yoga. Now, I would wear a Zumba t-shirt like these as every-day wear, and as a matter of fact, I've been debating with purchasing the white/black football shirt for some time. Actually, that shirt comes in orange/grey and I really like that one too... I think you can see where this is going...I've just been waiting for a sale... So while I would wear these as every-day wear, I'm a Zumba freak so that makes a certain amount of sense, doesn't it? I know not everyone is like me and in that case, the sweater and its ilk would be more appealing.

That's it, I hope you enjoyed the fall fitness fashion trend round-up -- Zumba-style! My thanks to Holly McConnell and the blog Skinny Mom for the original article that I based my own post on. If you haven't taken the time to check out that blog, maybe give it a look-see when you have a moment, it has a lot to offer.

Best advice: Everything is better when it's Zumba-style, or at least I think so... My friend Tay, the one I bought the Zumba class for as a birthday present, and I had a conversation about Zumba recently:

Her: So far, I don't LOVE it but I love how I feel after. I'm not a dance person but that hour really flies by! I think I really like it!
Me: Just remember... I wasn't a "dance person" when I started either. 
Her: Lol! I'm so crappy at the moves... But at this point in life I am no longer shy and self-conscious. And damn, I feel pretty great!

Me: I started out crappy too. It's invigorating and empowering. It's like magic.

And here's what the point of my sharing this with all of you is...

Her: Yes, I didn't know exercise could do all that!

There, that line right there -- I didn't know that either once upon a time! Everything is better when it's Zumba-style, even athletic wear.

The newest Zumba gear

Just this week Zumba introduced some new pieces to their fall collection. They posted about it on Facebook and Google+ and when I saw this I got just a little excited. Oh boy! New goodies to peruse. I check Zumba's shop once or twice a week anyway, just in case they decide to be sneaky and launch something without posting about it. Hey, it's happened.

Zumba recently redid their sizing charts, but historically, when a piece of clothing sells, the last two sizes left behind are XS and XXL. Everything in between always goes first. Prior to the Great Resizing of 2013, Zumbawear ran small. That was a fact and I learned to compensate for it. The first pair of cargoes (the ones with the silver ribbons) that I ever bought were a large. At the time, I was generally wearing a medium in all my every-day clothes. I'm a short gal you see, so as far as length goes, these were a little much, but they have the elastic built into the ankle for people who want to pull up one leg (or both) so I just tightened that a little and it was all good. They presumed that anyone buying a large would be tall. Not so much folks. I was making it work for me, but I think the Zumba-nation had something to say about it all. Now their clothes run a bit more true to size, a medium is really a medium. Having said that, I still don't know who exactly is supposed fit into the extra small. Near as I can tell, it's meant for teens and tweens...really small ones...

So all my excitement earned me an amused look from Bry. Something along the lines of: "Here we go again..." I wrote a whole post about it, but I want to reiterate: I'm lucky to have a husband who is so supportive of my passion for Zumba. This is the man that got me cargoes last Valentine's Day, so he knows about Zumbawear. He looked over my shoulder at my computer screen as I browsed, and listened as I commented on the things I liked and didn't like.

Me: I really like these legwarmers.
Bry: You can't wear those with cargoes.
Me: I know. I'm trying to decide if I like them enough to buy tights to wear them with.

Forgoing cargoes in lieu of tights? I never thought I would even consider something like that.

The legwarmers come in two colors, "Love Me Lime" and "Back To The Fuchsia". I think these are pretty cute, but I decided that I needed to gather some other people's opinions. My friend Tay (who is well on her way to becoming a Zumbafreak in her own right) also really likes these but not any of the pairs of tights. She suggested I just go buy tights at a department store. Hrmm, practical advice; and budget-conscious. Of course what that means is that I will now have to go to various department stores to see if I can find a pair of tights that I like. It will be a hardship, but I'll struggle through... Heh.

A couple of other things from the new releases also caught my eye. One was a tank top, the other a bag. I love (LOVE) bags, but I'll start with the top. It comes in three colors: Sew Black, Love Me Lime, and Cut N Paste Purple. I don't know where they come up with the names for colors... On the other hand, I used to go to class dressed in brown. So I probably shouldn't scoff. I digress. Here's the top:

It says "Feel the music" on the front. I'm definitely going to get this top, it's just a matter of which color. I like the purple one a lot, and my first instinct is to buy it because I don't have anything quite that exact shade of purple whereas I do have something in that lime...and I have plenty of black stuff. What's stopping me is that I don't have anything besides black that will work with it. The model wearing the purple shirt has on a pair of the new pink cargo capris introduced this week, and while I have wanted a pair of bright (and I mean neon bright...) pink cargo capris for a while, I was disappointed to find that the new style doesn't have any ribbons. No ribbons? Can you even call them cargoes if they don't have ribbons...?
Apparently, but it means I'm not going to buy them. The ribbons make the pants! Come on people, everyone knows that... And it's too bad too, because they have a most excellent pattern on the fabric that I like. At least with the lime top, I know I already have stuff that will make a good outfit. My friend Don says she thinks the lime is fresh and modern, whereas the purple/pink combo has been around for a while. Good point, and worth considering especially since I was on the fence with the purple already. This will take some deliberation as I still have birthday gift card money left and I don't want to waste it.

On to the bags! I have been wanting a Zumba bag for a long, long time. A fashionable one, something that I could get away with using as an every-day bag if I wanted to. Zumba has been known to sell them in the past but most recently, all they've had are these drawstring bags. Don't get me wrong, these serve a purpose, I have a black drawstring bag by 31 that I carry my stuff for class in, it's just that if I used a bag like that as an every-day purse, it would look very obviously like a gym bag that's being re-purposed. Not so chic if you know what I mean. These two on the other hand... I just cannot decide. I love them both but how can I justify getting two? I can't really... I sought Jae's opinion since she's the aficionado on all things brightly colored. She said she liked the pink one, but the slate one is more versatile for an every-day bag. I guess I knew that deep down, and I'll likely wind up buying the slate one, but that doesn't stop me from wanting the pink one too. And by the way, the pattern on the bags is the same as the one on the newest "cargoes". I am totally doing air-quotes right now even though you can't see it.

I've actually had my eye on a utility tote that I saw on Amazon back in August. When I start teaching my own class this January at my church, I'm going to need something a little bigger than my current dance bag to carry my stuff in. When I got a good look at the stereo in the room I'm going to be using, I saw that it's actually a CD/cassette player. Yeah...I said cassette player...and no plug-in for for my Windows phone that has all my music on it. Therefore, my plan is to bring my own equipment. I have a speaker/sub-woofer set already that used to be attached to my old desktop computer. It's been collecting dust in a closet for about a year. I cleaned it off and it works really well with my phone; excellent sound. But I need something sturdy for carrying it back and forth and that's where this bag comes in. That model sure is enjoying that bag, isn't she? So you can see why I probably shouldn't get two of the other kind. We've all heard the phrase "Everything in moderation." and this is just going to have to be one of those instances; love me some bags, but I'll restrain myself...kinda.

Best advice: When buying Zumbawear and gear, do so -thoughtfully-. You're spending money on something very specialized and unless you're a teacher full time, with classes every day, this stuff isn't likely to be worn more than once or twice a week. Or unless you just like going out in your Zumba clothes I suppose... Not that I've done that... Heh. Okay, yes I have.

The sprained ankle - Part 2: the rest of the story

Before I get started on this one, I just want to give you, dear readers, a warning as to the serious nature of this particular post. If you've personally dealt with a loss or a tragedy recently, you may want to stop here and come back at a later time. Or don't, it's up to you.

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning, you may remember that back in August I wrote a post about spraining my ankle. Aaanndd...continuing to go to Zumba anyway... Just this week I received a comment on that particular post from a doctor. If you haven't read that post yet, or if you plan to re-read it, please take a moment to read his comment too. In that post I wrote that I definitely did not recommend doing what I did and his professional medical opinion states the same.

The truth is, there's a little more to the story of the sprained ankle. When I wrote that post back in August, I left out a critical piece that I wasn't ready to talk about yet. Seeing the doctor's comment, I realized that perhaps it's time; that perhaps I'm ready. When I sprained my ankle back at the end of April, it was absolutely the worst possible timing. I was going through a very difficult time and using Zumba a kind of therapy to help me get past it. More about that in a minute, but basically, my mental health took priority over my physical health. Not going to Zumba would have set my emotional well being back and there was no way I could have handled that so I simply wrapped the ankle and kept going.

At the beginning of March I was amazed to find I was pregnant. A post-vasectomy surprise since we'd decide our family was complete after the birth of our second son. I had less than a week to get used to the idea before some tests revealed that my pregnancy was not going to be a viable one and that I would likely miscarry very shortly. In that small space of time, I'd become very attached to the pregnancy and was devastated by this news. The sadness and the rage were very nearly overwhelming. Those phases of grief that people talk about...denial, anger, bargaining, etc...I know first hand that they are very real. Believe me when I tell you that the bargaining one doesn't work.

***Side note: If you want some more comprehensive information about phases of grief, here's a site you can reference.***

I was still doing Saturday morning classes back then, and I took two classes off to recover. My first class back, it turned out to be just me and Jae. No one else showed up for class that morning. Imagine that. So we got down to the business of dance and towards the middle of the class, she puts on Danza Kuduro, my favorite. To this day, I still don't know if that song was part of her planned playlist or if she pulled that out on the fly and ditched one of the others.

Stereo: Danza Kuduro! Plop plop plop plop!...
Me: Thank you.
Jae: Yep.

She's good at reading her group, even if it's a group one. For that hour, I was the closest to "normal" that I'd been in two weeks. I really tried hard to get over it, get past the loss. By myself. It didn't work. If I hadn't had two young boys that needed me to take care of them, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed, much less left the house. I'd make plans on the occasional "good day" so that I'd feel committed to keep them on the "bad days". A huge red flag for me was when I woke up in the morning two Saturdays later and, for the fist time ever in 3+ years, I did not want to go to Zumba. I forced myself to get up and get dressed for class and go. By the time it was over, I was...glad. Glad that I had gone. Back then, it was really difficult for me to feel any form of positive emotion. Like I said, the negatives, were pretty overwhelming. The point here is that when I realized that I didn't want to go to Zumba (and everyone who follows me here knows how much I love it), I was scared. Actually, I didn't just scare myself with that. When I told a few others how I felt, that I just didn't want to go, I scared them too. It's one thing to feel sad, it's another to completely lose interest in something you're really passionate about. That's when I knew I had to get some help. The medical kind of help. Honestly, I feel such a sense of relief now that I was lucid enough then to realize it at all; things were pretty dark for me at the time.

I made an appointment with my OB/GYN and she prescribed me something to help with the grief and the "irritability". That was her word, and it was something of an understatement. Along with the prescription, she handed me a card as a referral to a counselor. I took the medicine, and I've been seeing the counselor regularly. Both helped and help still, but Zumba was, and is, its own kind of therapy. Somehow, it made me feel good, even happy, and most importantly, normal. Somehow, I'd get to class, and Jae would put the music on and I'd feel it move through me and it would take all the negativity with it. Saturdays were good days then. Sundays too, even Mondays and Tuesdays because I was still feeling the Zuphoria a little. Wednesday though, that's when I'd start to get a little twitchy. My appointments with the counselor were on Wednesdays then, so that helped, but Thursday and Friday were usually pretty bad days. Then Saturdays were done for the summer and class was Monday night. Suddenly the problem days were Saturdays and Sundays - at least until mid-June. Between mid-May and mid-June, things really started to turn around for me. Emotionally, I was so much better. I'd worked through a lot of issues with the counselor and found my way back to a place where things are really good, where life is really good.

I am grateful beyond words to have all that I have and I find that when I focus on that, I don't feel the loss of what I don't have so keenly. Of course I give the counselor loads of credit, but Zumba gets a lot too. I'll close with something my pastor said to me when I spoke with her about this. She said that I had experienced a tragedy of the body and a sadness of the body but that Zumba let me feel a renewal of the body and a joy of the body. Wow. I had never thought of things in those terms before that, but she's right. Now I understand why it worked as a therapy for me.

No advice today. Take from this what you will.

The new comfort zone

A good friend of mine, who also has a blog, wrote a post this past week entitled Outside My Comfort Zone. You can read it for yourself, but I'll give you one of the main highlights. She took a Zumba class for the first time. Her birthday was the end of September and someone...okay, I admit it was me...got her a Zumba class as present. If you read her whole post, that "Zumba fiend" she refers to is yours truly. Heh. While the experience might have initially been out of her comfort zone, she enjoyed herself very much and bought herself more classes. Welcome to the Zumbaholic's club Tay! We've been waiting for you.

My friend lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. So finding a place and paying for a class took some planning. Here's where I'm going to plug Zumba's website a little (not a compensated endorser, just a Zumba fiend). They have a page where you can look up classes in any given area by entering a zip code (postal code for the Canadians). Then it will give you all the classes in that area starting with the closest, and you can limit the search by miles (kilometers for the Canadians) up to 100. You can also limit the search by days of the week and the specific type of Zumba class you're interested in. Knowing where my friend lives, I plugged in her postal code and found the classes closest to her. But I wasn't just looking for proximity. She's a very busy and successful realtor so her schedule is fairly tight. The studio I wound up choosing, and calling long distance from Michigan, had a wide variety of days and times available. I know for me personally, there is very very (-very-) little that I'll let interfere with my scheduled Zumba class; family illness being the main thing. But that is after having done Zumba for some time, I didn't start out that way. The truth is, exercise is always easier to commit to and stick with if it's easy to go to in the first place. In my case, I started out with a Saturday morning class and my husband made it easy for me to go by making sure our son was taken care of. The studio was only fifteen minutes from where we lived at the time, so that made it easy. The classes were inexpensive (they still are but were only $5 back then), and that made it easy. Easy is the key word here. Exercise can be a challenge for people all by itself, and if it's an inconvenience to even go to the class in the first place, people just won't bother. Group exercise in particular, and not just Zumba, can be out of a lot of people's comfort zones just because of the crowd. I know this from my own experience, so I took all that into consideration when shopping for my friend's birthday. Basically, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for her to enjoy the gift.

On the subject of birthdays and comfort zones... Back at the end of August, I wrote a couple of posts about what I received from my family as birthday gifts (all Zumba related), and in the second of these posts, I told you, dear readers, that Bry had gotten me something really great on behalf of him and our boys. But I never said what that was exactly...

For a long while now, the idea of becoming a certified instructor has kicked around in my brain, down in the dark recesses. This idea came to me after I'd been doing Zumba for about six months, so...over three years ago by now. It's something I thought would be fun, that I thought maaaybeee I could do. Okay, to clarify, I figured I could -do- it...but actually be good at it? I just didn't know. Quite frankly, I was afraid for a couple of reasons. One was, what if I paid $225 to become a certified instructor and I turned out not to be any good? I didn't want to waste the money. Two, was that I also didn't want to waste my time and thus be forced to face the possibility that I sucked at something I loved so much. Delusions of grandeur? Hrmm. There is a very long road between being a teacher's freak good student and being some students' good instructor. Well, at least it's seemed like a long road for me; maybe not for others.

Bry and our boys bought me a certification class for my birthday. The last Saturday in October, I am going to spend the day taking a master class and I fully intended to come away with a license to teach Zumba Basic 1. This has been more than three years in the making for me. Definitely something outside my comfort zone. I've spent the past two and half months getting used to the idea that I can really do this, and by that I mean that I might actually be good at it. The motivation at the left is absolutely true. Not a day has gone by in the last 3.5+ years that I don't think about Zumba in some way, shape, or form. The only other thing I can say that about, is Bry and our boys. I had talked about the possibility of certification for some time, Bry knew it was something that I wanted, something that I'd slowly been working up the confidence to say, "Now. Now is the time." Bry also knew that I had reached that point and that I had started looking into certification classes. So, he surprised me the morning of my birthday. What a guy. Initially, I was really excited and grateful for such a thoughtful gift; I felt really supported by my family. All that's still true, but after about two days of letting it sink in, I went though a phase of: "Holy smokes, stuff just got really real!! What am I doing?!" In my head, I was using a different word than "stuff". If you know me, or have been reading from the beginning, you know that I tend to have freak-outs during times of change. Like that time the DSW stopped carrying my specific style of Zumba shoes...? Luckily for me, I have people in my life, family and good friends who, for whatever reason, seem able -and- willing to deal with me and my freaky self. (Thanks by the way...)

Me: Stuff just got really real!
Friend: This is what you wanted!
Me: I know! I know...

So even though I finally was at a place in my life where I felt ready for this, I was still overwhelmed by it. I got past it though. I managed to convince a couple of friends to come to my house so I could practice trying to teach. My first test subject... conscript... volunteer was a very good sport. I don't know where my head was at that day. Even knowing that she had very little Zumba experience and knowing that what experience she did have was over two years old, it still took me three songs to actually start directing. I am so used to just doing, without thinking about how it's going for anyone else. That's fine if you're a student, not so fine if you're supposed to be instructing. I managed a little better after that, but I was late on pretty much all my directions. A lot of room for improvement there. In spite of that, we both had a good time. I did a bit better job directing my second volunteer. In between, I decided I should practice the actual cuing even if it meant I was directing no one and talking to myself. That by the way is kind of weird, so I try to imagine a class instead. I figure that pretending I have people with me is less weird somehow. In any event, the take-away from my practice session with my first volunteer was that I have to cue the moment -before-, not the moment of. Aha. Got it. What's amazing to me is how different Zumba can be when you're the one in charge. The respect I have for what both Jae and Rae can do, the way they handle their classes, is even more now that I have a better understanding of how challenging it can be.

The quote from Mr. Bill Cosby that you see up to the right, bottom-lines it perfectly. I've had almost a month and a half to settle into the idea and I'm ready to own it. I've even gone so far as to make plans for the new year. I've spoken to the pastor at my church, we had a meeting, I gave her my proposal, and the response was an enthusiastic yes. Starting in January, I'm going to have my own class. I want that more than I'm afraid of it. The truth is, my comfort zone has expanded to include this new version of me - The ZIN version of me. 

Best advice: Re-read the motivation quotes. I think just about everyone has something in their life this could apply to. Think about what yours might be, maybe it's time.

The Limbo Remix

Most people who know me know that I'm a freaky Zumba girl. And us freaky Zumba girls, we love our Daddy Yankee songs. One really popular one is Limbo. Jae introduced it over a year ago and both of us agree that we never get tired of it. Like...ever.

For the moment, let me set aside my love of songs by DY (and the list is long...) and talk about someone else's music that I love. Or rather, two someones. Wisin Y Yandel. These guys are awesome and I have never heard anything by them that I didn't like. In my class we've done both Abusadora and Sexy Movimiento, but their stuff comes up on my Pandora pretty often so I've heard a great many other songs besides just those two. Something about their Reggaeton sound just speaks to me, in spite of the language barrier.

As you all know from a post about a week and half back, I've discovered Pinterest. So just for fun last night, I decided to see what Wisin Y Yandel had out there up on the great digital cork board. My curiosity was rewarded in spades because I found this...

I was online with my half-sister Mel at the time and that conversation went like this:

Me (a little giddy): Holy cow! I just found Limbo featuring W&Y! This is like biting into a piece of cake and finding a brownie inside!! Must buy!!
Mel: I heard that one before. It is pretty good.
Me: I didn't know this existed. I have to have this.

Yeah, I totally bought the MP3 in a heartbeat. Why didn't I search Pinterest for these guys a week and a half ago? I could have been enjoying this song for ten days already! So many remixes out there really kind of suck...and they come across (at least to me) like a money grab, as in how can artists capitalize on popular songs even more. But this...this combines everything I love about King Daddy's song, with the sound of Wisin Y Yandel that I love so much. It's the best of both worlds, a glorious hybridization, and I couldn't not make a post about it. The only thing left now, is to see if I can apply Jae's awesome Limbo choreography to the remixed version. I've got to try it because I just can't not try. This is going to wind up like that time I discovered the official Boujé choreography, I just know it... The Zumba plan for tonight was supposed to be: fix the middle of Pose - the transition from the chorus into the shoulders/knees section is really sticky. Now the plan is: 1) fix Pose, 2) try Limbo remix. I can already feel the Zog coming on. Dale.

Best advice: Pinterest is a font of knowledge.  

The "mommy & me" yoga class - a good postpartum exercise plan

As of two Fridays ago, my yoga class started back up again for the fall. It's a "mommy & me" class. My friend Don has been teaching this class for years and she's great at it. She knows what the moms need as far as intensity of poses, and also how to keep the kids (ages 0-5) engaged. I started taking mommy and me yoga when our oldest son was only three months old. He's five now and in kindergarten full time these days. Last year, I took both boys to mommy and me yoga, this year, I'm back to just taking one. Class is from 12:30 to 1:15pm so it happens while the older one is in school. This is a very different kind of yoga class. It's noisy, the lights are all the way up so it's bright, and there are fairly frequent breaks where the mommies have to stop and attend to their child's needs. Frequent breaks mean that the sequences are shorter than they would be in a regular class just so that there's still enough time to keep both sides even.

Ideally, you'd have a cooperative baby who lets you hold him on your thigh while in warrior, and doesn't resist when you do the baby yoga exercises. Reality paints a different picture. The reality is that it's a challenge to hold your balance in warrior with a squirming baby on your thigh. Reality is that your baby is trying to kick his legs free of your grasp so he can crawl away and get back to playing and exploring. And snacking. Yes, in mommy and me yoga, the mommies are allowed to bring toys and munchies for the kiddos. My little one has his own yoga mat cut a little smaller than my own full sized one; he inherited it from his big bro. I'll set out a couple toys and a little container of snack, and a sippy cup of water for him. Does he sit on his mat next to me? Briefly. When I want him on my lap, he is all about that little blue mat. As soon as it's time for him to sit there so that I can do some poses, he decides he'd much rather used the end of mine.

Me (trying to do a down dog): Little Buddy, where's Momma supposed to put her feet?
Baby (eating a handful of cereal): Ghee blah!

Photo Credit: Yoga On York

Mostly, I try to work around him as he crawls under and around me. I also try to work around the crumbs - the big downside of snacks during yoga. Actually, I do my best to try to keep the crumbs -on- my mat and/or on his because then I can just take them outside and shake them out on the sidewalk. That way, Don doesn't have to sweep and the evening yoga people don't step on cereal bits.

***Side note: Sorry evening yoga people if I missed any! Sincerely, The Zumbamommy***

This past Friday while trying to avoid stepping on a cereal-O, I stepped on something wet. Huh. The sippy cup of water is three feet away so that would be drool on my mat. Sigh. That comes with the territory I suppose. Note to self: wash mat before next Friday.

***Side note: Hey evening yoga people! It could be worse than cereal! Sincerely, The Zumbamommy***

When I first started mommy and me yoga with our older son, it was with the idea of getting back in shape after having had a baby. Isn't that what every new mom wants? To lose the baby weight and that funny little abdominal pooch? I'm here to tell you ladies, those of you who have not yet discovered it for yourselves, that it doesn't happen quickly or easily (sorry). This is especially true if you were fairly sedentary through your pregnancy. Which I was with my first pregnancy, though not with my second. I did Zumba and yoga through my second pregnancy, as much and as often as I could while staying healthy and safe (SAFE - see your physician). So I know the difference between an active pregnancy and a sedentary one. I also know the difference between the recoveries and this includes getting back into shape. After giving birth the second time, I was back at Zumba in six weeks. Yoga was on hiatus by then since the mommy and me class doesn't run June through August. Because I'd done Zumba before I was pregnant, I was in shape and had the endurance for it and was therefore able to continue my regular class through my pregnancy. Likewise, after I'd delivered, I was able to get back to Zumba almost right away because I was still in shape for it, having done it through my pregnancy.

After my first pregnancy, it was wise to start off nice and easy with the exercise. The mommy and me class has a slow pace and is not especially intense. Great for new moms looking to get back in shape and have some bonding time with their babies. Perfect for moms (...like me...) who spent most of their pregnancy sitting around. It took a long long time for me to get back in shape after our first son. I am one of those moms who cannot lose weight while nursing; many mothers can, I'm just not one of them. The one attempt to do so caused me to lose milk supply which was not good; that's part of what took so long. Almost as soon as I weaned him at 14 months, the extra weight started melting off with the slightest amount of activity. By the time he was 18 months, I'd discovered Zumba, and by the time he was two, I weighed ten pounds less than when I'd become pregnant with him in the first place. Pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

Doing mommy and me yoga with the older one was some wonderful quality time. We both got so much out of it. I'm hoping to have a similar experience with the younger one and I think we're on the right track. I like to use my yoga class as a counterbalance for my Zumba. It works my muscle groups in a different way than Zumba does. Yoga is pretty low-key and it helps keep me from burning myself out from all the Zumba I do. Those are two very good reasons for why I'm willing to put up with a mat full of crumbs and drool.

Best advice: Post-baby, don't expect results overnight. Or even over six months! It's a rare woman who can walk out of the hospital after giving birth in anything other than maternity clothes. Here's an old saying that about sums it up, "It took nine months to gain the weight, give yourself at least that long to loose it."

Second best advice: Here are some nifty tips for taking care of your skin post-pregnancy and/or post-weight loss.

The fit friend

Picture credit: Skinny Mom

I recently came across an article on Skinny Mom. Cute name, I know... It's a good site though, with a lot of interesting things about health and fitness, recipes, and family. The article I found was called Redefine Your BFF: Best Fit Friends written by Lauren Yost. Reading it got me thinking about my own life.

When Bry and I lived in Lansing some years ago, I exercised a lot but I did it alone for the most part. I would fit my exercise into whatever my schedule of college classes was and all my friends at MSU each had their own crazy schedule and work load it seemed. Bry would join me on occasion but he was working full time -and- finishing his own degree. All of that was okay though, I didn't mind working out alone. I'd go out for a long power walk and I'd have my MP3 player strapped to my arm and it was good. Incidentally, that thing was huge. I'm surprised I wasn't walking in a circle because of the added weight...but hey, it was 2004 and technology has come a very long way since then. I really didn't mind exercising by myself at the time, but I think I would now. I've gotten very very used to exercising with other people thanks to Zumba.

When I first started Zumba 3.5 years ago it was with apprehension and trepidation, so I didn't want to invite a friend along and embarrass myself in front of them. After a couple of classes I realized that regardless of my own ability (or lack thereof...), Zumba was something special and awesome and I felt compelled to share this fact with all and sundry. If you ask any friend of mine about me, she'll tell you, "Oh her? Yeah it's always Zumba-this and Zumba-that."

I asked them to join me on multiple occasions and got a couple of them to give it a shot with me. But everyone is different, and for their own reasons (legitimate ones, not the crappy excuse kind...) they decided it wasn't for them, or maybe not something they could do all the time the way I did. And that was okay. It just meant that I was back to working out alone. Except for that I wasn't really alone. I was in a room full of other people women who, by and large, felt the same way about Zumba as I did. That makes for really great energy during class, but it can also be the foundation for making some great friendships too. The article gives six ways to redefine your best fit friend, here's number 3:
"Strike up a conversation at the gym. You know that woman who is frequently on the treadmill next to you? The one you also see in your yoga class? Talk to her! Chances are that if you’re running into each other on a regular basis you’ve got some common interests. Move your yoga mat next to hers at your next class, or greet her when you see her on the treadmill. You never know, she could become a BFF!"

Okay, so treadmills and yoga mats don't apply in Zumba, but the general concept is the same. You keep going to the same Zumba teacher's classes, you're going to run into a lot of the same people repeatedly. For me, that's exactly what happened. I am one of those freak students (every teacher has at least one if not a few...) that will show up to class each week no matter what the weather, no matter if there's a holiday that weekend. Basically, no matter what. It could be raining brimstone on the July 4th, and I'd still show up for class. Hrmm, raining brimstone? Guess I'd better grab a hoodie on my way out the door... As I said, every teacher has a few, I wasn't Rae's only "die hard" as she called us. Before Jae was herself a teacher (...my teacher), she was my fellow classmate, and like me, she was pretty much always there every week.

Having a friend like her to be fit with has had a profound impact on me. I'm 32 and I'm in better shape today than I have ever been. Much better shape than when I was 23 and going on power walks alone. Having a fit friend means that someone is there supporting you and your goals and that you in turn are supporting theirs. Having a fit friend means sharing similar goals, and that you're walking the road to greater health together. Aren't all journeys more fun with a friend along?

Best advice: Don't let pride get in your way, get a fit friend. Let go of worry about being embarrassed or judged and get a fit friend. It matters, it works, and it's way more worthwhile than going it alone. I for one, am never going back to going solo.