On 31st August 2016 I hung up my Zumba pants.
I had been teaching the Latin inspired workout for over 6 years, in village and school halls, the gym where my fitness journey began, my own studio, even at the local army barracks – what a day that was!!
I had shaken and shimmied week in week out, spring, summer, autumn and winter, up to 6 classes a week at times and in those later years my love for the programme had dwindled.
It happens frequently in an ever changing industry, whilst you can’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to moving your body a new look for the wheel is constantly created.
When you are teaching general fitness, as I was 10 years ago, you have to keep up with many of the ‘latest fitness crazes’ then you have to teach it until you exhaust yourself and fall out of love with it or until the next thing comes along.
The former happened with me, even though I’d cut down my classes I didn’t want to put my Zumba pants on anymore and so I hung them up for the final time…
Or so I thought.
During the past 4 years my focus has changed, my knowledge expanded and my passion shifted.
Teaching fitness classes week in week out no longer fits with my passion and so next week I will be teaching my last permanent regular fitness class.
As this end has got closer I’ve thought about all the courses I’ve attended, the programmes I’ve trained to teach, the memories I made delivering each of those classes. Most of the memories were dance themed and I realised that I miss dancing, really miss it in fact.
And not just dancing, I miss Zumba, the music, the moves, the way it made me feel the way it made my classes feel. The fun we had, the signing, the laughter, the Cumbia Hopping Soldiers at the barracks! At the time they were all fleeting moments but are now engrained and fond memories.
I’ve realised that I didn’t fall out of love with Zumba I got tired, not bored tired, exhausted tired I needed a rest from it and 4 years has been sufficient.
10 days ago I reinstated my Zumba teaching affiliation, last weekend I danced around my kitchen practicing routines (which came back to me in an instant) I ordered new Zumba pants and last week I held 2 virtual Zumba classes and had THE best time!
I am still giving up teaching regular permanent classes next week and I don’t know when Zumba will feature during my temporary Covid-19 virtual studio timetable or for how long that will continue but I do know that I am better when I dance. Everything is better when we dance!
