Training Day: Zumba Style.

I am an OFFICIAL ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!! Last Saturday was my Zumba training day in Ardmore, Oklahoma. I knew that I was in for a full day of shaking it, but I really had no idea what was coming my way...

I got there at 8AM where we checked in and received our manuals and DVD's. I was really lucky to have hit it off with a sweet lady from the very beginning. It was way more fun having a buddy to share this experience with!

While I anxiously awaited to get things started, I snacked on these coffee almonds and Svelte protein shake. FYI- the almonds are THE BOMB. A handful of them are equivalent to a cup of coffee and they held me over until lunchtime!! I was a little skeptical about trying the protein shake for the first time, but I loved it. Definitely my new favorite.

We started off the day with an hour of master class. It was basically an amped up version of a regular Zumba class. My instructor was outstanding. She had this explosive energy and evident passion for what she did. You could tell that she had been doing this for awhile, but she still showed so much excitement towards it- truly inspiring. 

An hour of dancing went by SUPER fast and we had a quick break where I drank a ton of water and tried to mop up my sweat. (gross, I know, but seriously… it was BAD.)

Next we gathered around a PowerPoint presentation over some basics of Zumba. This didn't last very long at all- This lady probably had more energy than anyone I had ever met and I could totally tell she was all about the practical application, which was good with me! I needed the practice.

We then went into essentially a dance tutorial where she taught us ALL about merengue and salsa until 12:00! By this point…. I'm just going to be honest with you… I WAS DYING!!! My hips hurt, my feet hurt, everything was hurting. I wasn't complaining though, I was having a blast and learning a TON!

After a 30 minute lunch break and about 30 minutes of discussion, we jumped right back into more dancing. We learned all the fundamentals of cumbia and reggaeton, creating choreography, song structure, and instructing your class. Let me just tell ya- I HAVE NEVER DANCED SO MUCH IN MY LIFE. By the end of this day, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it out the door without passing out. We danced from about 1 all the way up until 4:30 with a few quick breaks. Protein bars and water got me through the afternoon. I would really like to know how many calories I burned throughout the day, because I know it had to be A LOT! 

Overall, this was an amazing experience. I came back with so much more knowledge about Zumba and instructing my classes. The one thing that I love so much about Zumba is no matter how stressed or tired or irritated or whatever the case may be before Zumba class- once the music comes on and you start dancing, nothing else matters. You feel the beat, you're brain is focused on the moves, your body is tuned into the music, and your entire self is fixated on the motion and melody. I absolutely love that. I'm not thinking about all the things that I need to get done before tomorrow. I'm not thinking about the stuff that stresses me out. I'm not planning anything or multi-tasking. I'm not focused on anything other than the music and the moves. Something about that is so magical to me. 

My advice to whoever is reading this is to go find something that inspires you and DO IT. It may take some time to find whatever it is, but if you keep looking, you will find it. Once you have it, no one can take it from you. Bottle it up and enjoy it. :)