As you know, I love to try new fitness classes. In LA, I took a SoulCycle class the morning after I landed in LA at 7 AM. I also paid a visit to Pop Physique the day after my 6.5 hour fitness shoot. I was a little sore but not enough to make me not want to try a new class. It was very similar to The Bar Method and I enjoyed it. I just have an itch to try everything and can’t sit still until I do!
Fittingly this month, I am participating in the Harvard Pilgrim Well Together Challenge. I’ve been paired up with my pal Tina, from Carrots ‘n’ Cake to try new fitness classes, techniques and healthy experiences. We will be sharing with all of you our experiences throughout November. I challenge you to try 4 new adventures as well this month!
While I thought I had tried most of what Boston has to offer, Tina and I discovered that neither of us has taken a Zumba class. These days many instructors use a more Pop/Hip Hop music playlist. Lauren Hefez teaches Zumba at Equinox and has been begging me to take her class (to laugh at my lack of coordination). Kidding. I love Lauren’s classes so I was up for the challenge and so was Tina.
The 45-minute class began with a warm up song. Quickly it was obvious the girls in the front were regulars and knew Lauren’s choreography. One thing about dance classes to know is that the more you go, the better the workout. Instead of focusing on getting down the moves, you can really build up a sweat by controlling your muscle movements and accentuating each exercise.
Tina and I hung out in the back, something I never do! The music was current, upbeat and encouraging. The moves were simple enough that I could remember the choreography and actually get my heart rate up. The class was quite the unexpected cardio workout! I burned a total of 417 calories during the 45 minute class! That’s like running 4.5 miles for me. Instead, I got to dance, laugh, and learn new moves for the dance floor (kidding about the last one).
To be honest, had I not been given the Well Together Challenge, I probably would never have tried Lauren’s class. I assumed Zumba was too easy to be a good use of my time. I was proven wrong and will likely be taking Lauren’s class more often this winter when I can’t run outside.
- Have you taken a class with a friend thinking it would be a piece of cake and were pleasantly surprised?
- Have you taken a Zumba class lately? Are more instructors going a more Pop route with their playlists or is this just a Boston trend?
I’ve partnered with Harvard Pilgrim on this sponsored post but the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. You can find more ways to be well at HarvardPilgrim.org/CountUsIn! Check out the incredible football video below to get inspired that when people work together, anything is possible.
