Zumba and Other Group Activities

Zumba, for those of you don't know, is an aerobic fitness program designed by some dudes in Miami. Or at least that's what Wikipedia tells us. A combination of Latin and other international music, it's draw is loud music with irregular dance steps. It also involves lots of jiggling.

When the music orders, "Shake that thing!" the wrong things on me are shaking. Some moves involve serious hip thrusting, which I have not mastered an I'm on the fence as to whether I want to. As Rachel said, "I don't know whether to just move what I can or just go for it." I compensate with lots of head bopping. My favorite move is the daring Shirley Feeney come-hither-my-Carmine.

Still, we keep up, and there's now a respectable contingent of over 40 somethings (and even a 30 something) keeping up with the 20 somethings.

I have two goals zumba work out. The first is don't flail too much and hurt a fellow zumba-er. The other is don't fall down. Most of the time, it's mission accomplished.

During our most recent zumba workout, a thought occurred to me, "zumba is like marching band." Let me explain. I knew a guy who gathered with his high school buddies each Thanksgiving morning and had a "Turkey Bowl" of tossing around the pigskin like old times. Nearly every activity can be continued in some form beyond high school and college. Even former yearbook editors continue their interests of layout, design, and posting photos of all their popular favorite people on such things as, say, Facebook (not bitter, nope).

And then there's marching band. Who gets all their marching band buddies together, finds a field, and they spell out "Ohio" or weave intricate patterns as the trombones play? If you were in the Marching Band, your glory days have been left on the field like so much stale popcorn.

And so it is with zumba. It is a group activity that could be repeated at fraternity parties and night clubs only if you are with your fellow zumba-ers. Don't worry, I will not be among them. Which reminds me, I do not know any of those people in that picture.

Now I want popcorn.