Zumba and the Fat Chic.... does it mix?

[Danielle_NZ]

I decided to get "Active 2" for my PS3, will post some feedback on it once I've had a play :-)

Will also get zumba but slightly later.

[Gigi]

i tried Zumba in two locations, with two different teachers, and i had a different experience.

haven't exercised for nearly five years, very unfit, carrying most excess weight on thighs. Zumba classes were mainly to very fast music, more exercise than dance, and i found myself running to keep up, more than actually doing the steps. The amount of running and fast movements, i found it uncomfortable. Many times, with the twisting and quick movements to fast very loud music, i seriously thought about injuries - it would be so easy to injure yourself, as an unfit person.

the first teacher i had for zumba, was a promotions model/dancer, 19, a very fit athlete, who seemed to use the class as her own personal workout. i could see people in the class, who were not catching on to the steps, and she made no effort to help them. no verbal instructions, she just expected, at full speed, for people to copy her moves, like a reverse mirror and just "pick it up". i did dance when younger, so can pick up dance steps ok, but still found it challenging when learning the moves at full speed.

the advertising campaigns make zumba look so appealing, but i need to find something more realistic for me. I was attracted to it as i love the south american music/dances etc. So i'm the sole dissenter here. I went into it thinking i would love it, but was quite disappointed (did 5 classes with first instructor cos i stupidly paid for a course upfront, and maybe another 5 with 2nd instructor, who was better at teaching (she wore a mike, gave verbals, used her arms to point which direction to go in, and did new sequences slow, without music to start off with), but i still didn't like how fast the class was (for my fitness level, which is zero).