MOVE YOUR BODY!
Zumba and running may not seem obvious dance partners, but you might be surprised… They fit together like Fred and Ginger
Words: Rachel Ifans
The Zumba craze first swept these fair shores a decade or so ago and its core target market – if you missed it – is energetic women who like to work up a sweat and get a feel-good afterglow from their exercise. Now, despite fitting the demographic perfectly, some people like me held this new exercise class at bay for as long we could, thinking it was not quite for the likes of us serious runners.
A little bit naff, maybe? A bit middle aged? A bit too fun? We all know it’s not real exercise unless you want to barf into your runners’ belt when you finish, right?
Well, more fool me for wasting years with my snobby runner’s nose pointing into the air, arms crossed and trail shoes on. Once I gave it a try, I was hooked; to be honest, for the first six months I was just intent on getting the moves right and remembering them from week to week. And by then, I was smitten.
So I’m here to persuad e you that it’s okay – in fact, it’s good – to have a frivolous activity like Zumba to complement your oh-so-serious running. I mean we all need a fun friend, don’t we? You know, the one who asks the DJ to play Superman by Black Lace, the one with the ill-advis ed karaoke habit, the one you always invite if you’re in need of belly laughs.