I went to my first Zumba class tonight and I was SO excited. Ive seen all the ads on TV for it and have heard how much a lot of people LOVE it. Well, I felt like a complete fool. 1st of all, going by myself kinda sucked. 2nd, I didnt realize quite how UN-coordinated I am, lol. I had absolutely NO idea what was going on 90% of the time. It totally kicked my ass though, which is good. I was going to do some extra cardio after the class, but had to go home because I was sooo whipped. For Zumba lovers, will this get better for me? How long did it take you to get all the steps down?

Also, a kind of NSV, I was able to beat the helliptical yesterday by doing 10 minutes, lol. Before my best time was 6 mins

Hey Lissa, since I'm so sore today, do you think I should not go do any cardio today? I havent been this sore EVER since starting my gym. I dont want to hurt myself. I cant believe how sore my core and knees are right now!

I absolutely love Zumba! I can't really remember my first class but I'm sure I wasn't that great. The main thing is it's a fun dance class. People are so into it that they don't have time to look around and judge you. As long as you are still moving to the beat, you are burning calories. Keep going!

The gym I go to actually has a "beginners" class before the actual workout once a week. I guess they spend 15 minutes showing you the basic moves to help you get the hang of it. I haven't decided yet if i'm going to go or not (the time is really awkward for me) yet, but if I do i'll be sure to hit this first!

OMG jhansen those are BOTH perfect. I do the stink master/murderer every other day then the helliptical on the alternate days. Yep' date=' that'll work lol thanks![/quote']

You're welcome, but I think you really came up with Stink Master.

Sorry to hear this. I love zumba. I think the instructor has a lot to do with it too. I have one instructor who acts like she's in a music video and doesn't instruct ugh! My favorite instructor is clear and awesome! I had have the best work outs and fun in her class...I would say try it a few more times and see what happens!

Be careful with Zumba. You can get hurt in there and not even know it. I know people who have had stress fractures, and quite a few people who have blown out their knees, by twisting just right.

I love Zumba. I am very uncoordinated, but I just do my best and have fun. The Zumba gold is too slow for me, but it's probably way better on my joints. Zumba really does hurt my neck, so I can't go as often as I would like to.

This thread is making me so happy and so sad! I had been addicted to Zumba for a year but tore my meniscus in a class a year ago. Dr said it wasn't bad enough to be surgical so I just have to lose weight. Easier said than done, right? Part of the reason I'm getting the sleeve.

Anyway, everyone feels lost the first time but I still loved it. If you have the option, I suggest trying multiple instructors, every one is different. For me, it's a lot about the music they choose. I prefer more current pop and hip-hop music than the international stuff. I found an instructor I loved and stuck with her. We actually became good friends because I went to her classes so much! lol But don't give up! You will start catching on eventually. Trust me, it's really exciting when you've been doing it a couple months and know some of the routines and the newbies are looking at you with awe. It's a great feeling! lol They think that fat girl is out of her mind being in that class but then I show them all up!

Oh, also, check out aqua zumba if you can! It is AMAZING... low impact, not as much cardio but good strength training. You can go to zumba.com to search for classes, locations and instructors for any type of class you want!

I went to a Zumba gold class Sat and that was a little better in that I could follow the steps better. I have noticed that it does REALLY hurt my knees like someone else was saying. I'm not sure if I just need to do it more or if its bad for my knees. I'm such a mess that last few days anyway after almost fainting at work and now I'm going to Michigan to visit my family for a week, that by the time I get back to the gym, I'll be like a complete newbie again anyway :/

I'm not surprised to hear about these injuries. When Zumba first started here, there were quite a few places holding the classes. Two places have closed down completely because so many people were gettng injured.