After an arduous evening of Zumba last night, I had a revelation on waking this morning. Jauntily taking the stairs down to make coffee, I realised that my supple and not-at-all-stiff muscles felt good.
And we worked hard: punching, screaming, facing off, swinging our hips and working our thang. Yeah, it was fun – and the sweat ran down behind my ears and soaked into my already sodden t-shirt.
If you haven’t tried Zumba, it’s an invigorating mix of energetic dance styles set to everything from Country and Western inspired beats to Eastern vibes but always with a Latino swing. It’s more fun than a workout, more work than a night on the dancefloor.
I drank water, I laughed at my missed steps but my thigh muscles remained robust as we were encouraged to drop further towards the ground, legs wide, arms high.
Not caring if I was pig or fox at this stage, I felt the music and enjoyed the look on the instructor’s face as she radiated the dance and the room filled with power and light.
Pretty awesome for an exercise class.
And so I woke this morning with the notion that I don’t do this for the skinny person within. Oh no, I’m not going to wait for the slim Amanda to emerge after months, maybe years of purging, denial and self-loathing.
Oh no, I’m going to celebrate the strong, vital and agile body that’s already there. Right now. Right here. Yes, I’m carrying a little extra flab on my legs but don’t miss the huge, powerful thigh muscles that propel my bike, that keep me running, that fuel my Zumba sass.
So, whether you’re walking, running, cycling or taking the kids to the park today, work the inner goddess you are now. Not for the body you want tomorrow but the one you have now.
And have fun doing it.
For more information on Zumba check out their website. Local classes in the UK are listed.
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