I’m great at Zumba… for seniors

I started going to Zumba. Yes, I’m not what you call an early adopter of trends.

It was a fluke, like so many of the other classes I started taking, including yoga! It happened to be offered when I showed up at the gym.

One day I arrived 30 minutes early for a Pilates class (because I can’t get the times right unless I say it aloud at least three times, and even then, it’s a crap shoot.) There was a loud and fun-looking Zumba class going on while I was waiting, so I decided to kill time by slipping in the back and dancing along. 

I’m a little self-conscious about dancing. I’m OK, but I’m not super coordinated. This is why I didn’t previously sign up for Zumba.

Here’s the thing about this or, really, almost anything else in life: Have fun and do your best. Nobody is watching you. They’re all busy looking at the teacher or doing their own thing. As I get older, I’m better at embracing that.

So I’m in the back corner and I’m doing OK and enjoying myself. It’s not so bad! I’m not perfect but I would do this again!

Emboldened by this not-horrendously embarrassing experience, later that week, I purposely attended an evening Zumba workout with a nice Filipino man wearing a bright pink shirt and purple sneakers, who did a lot of hip rolls and hand snaps.

He really worked me. I couldn’t keep up cardiovascularly, which made it increasingly harder to follow along with the much faster, more intricate dance steps. I think I might have been the worst one in class, but I was generally so busy trying to keep up, I didn’t really look at other women. 

The following week, I made a morning Zumba again. I saw my gym friend Wendy. Somehow, our chit chat led to her mentioning to me that this is Zumba for seniors. I didn’t know! I thought it was just full of retirees because other people are working on a weekday morning.

Hmm. No wonder it is easier than the evening class. What a disappointment. I just thought I was killing it. *sound of bubble popping*

Author(s) on this Post

Diane Ako

Peace of mind By Diane Ako I like to reflect on life. Sometimes it’s philosophically. Sometimes it’s humorously. For all its beauty, life is far too difficult a journey to take alone. You need the support and connection with others to help carry you along the way. Writing brings me that connection– within and without. It clarifies my thoughts and feelings. It helps me reach out to others for advice, wisdom, or feedback. Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become you. A wise yogi- Patanjali- said, “Speak what is true. Speak what is pleasant.” Let’s speak of things pleasant to one another and seek some peace of mind along the way. ABOUT Diane Ako joined Hawaii: In Real Life in October 2016. She likes being part of a community of local bloggers – people who like writing and sharing, like she does. Ako is an anchor/ reporter at Island News (KITV4 – ABC) in Honolulu. She previously anchored and reported at KHON2 (FOX) and KHNL (NBC), and at stations in California, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. She freelance writes for NMG Network's magazines. In between news jobs, in 2017, she launched and ran her own p.r. company, Diane Ako PR. From 2010-2014, she headed the public relations department at Halekulani Corporation, which oversees luxury resort Halekulani and boutique hotel Waikiki Parc. She’s been blogging since 2009 – before Hawaii: IRL, she wrote for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state’s largest daily newspaper, where her stories garnered a dozen journalism awards and an Emmy nomination. Ako has a BA in Communications from Menlo College and an MA in Political Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She volunteers as a board member of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, a Shinto shrine maiden at Daijingyu Temple, a citizen-scientist studying shrimp, and a yoga teacher at a senior center.

Diane Ako has 274 posts and counting. See all posts by Diane Ako

2 thoughts on “I’m great at Zumba… for seniors

  • May 11, 2017 at 2:18 am
    Permalink

    Another good write, Diane! :). I wonder if going to the pool for fitness might be next on your list of things to write about, permitting you haven’t done this for fitness yet 😉

    Reply
  • May 11, 2017 at 9:03 am
    Permalink

    Hello Diane,

    There’s a Zumba class near where I live but I never had any interest in doing that so far.

    Reply

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