26 January 2015 Weekend Recap: Dancing and Date Night

Weekend Recap: Dancing and Date Night

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This weekend was great.  Lots of time to connect, do some fun stuff, and also get things done.

Friday night, Tyler had to work, so once he left, my friend Rachel came over for dinner and a movie.  I made some lasagna rolls (wish I had taken pictures and notes of what I did – they were GOOD!) and we watched The Other Woman. It was SO funny.  We loved it.

I didn’t go to bed until after 1 (which is SO unlike me!).  Rachel and I talked so much that we didn’t start the movie until after 11! ha!

 

So, on Saturday, I slept in a bit until 8:30, and then when Tyler got home from work we hung out for a bit.  When he went to sleep, I headed out to Zumba and lunch with the family.

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Saturday afternoon was great.  I took a little nap, we got up and walked the dogs, and then we went downtown for dinner.  We keep trying to go to a new restaurant in town, Bricktown Brewery, on date nights…but the wait is over an hour and #aintnobodygottimeforthat so we ended up at the Hamburger Barn. It’s an older place in town, but I had never been.  I had a yummy Greek burger with feta, olives, and onions.  While we were eating, mom texted that they weren’t using their tickets for the night, and if we wanted them we could have them.

*Side note: I HATED this for her.  The tickets were to see Vicki Lawrence (from Mama’s Family- we watched it when I grew up) and she was so excited.  But dad wasn’t having a great day (I hate you, Alzheimer’s) so they weren’t staying for the show.  We picked up the tickets from mom and got to the show right as it started.

Tyler had no idea who Vicki Lawrence was, but she was funny.  She even came out as Mama and sang a few songs, too.

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The show was at the casino, and we messed around a bit after.  We didn’t gamble, but we watched a few people hit it big.

 

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Sunday was a fun day.  We had a special Zumba combo class scheduled, so after church and lunch we went to the gym.  I taught Zumba Toning first, and then Cece taught Aqua Zumba.  We had a GREAT turnout with a full class of 40 people!

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Several of my “regulars” came, but also some new people. LOVED it. And since it was all Toning, I got to wear the cool head mic and be Britney Spears for class (I don’t mic up for regular Zumba…you cue with your hands…but for Toning, you have to give verbal commands).IMG_8598.JPG

 

And our instructor friend Kylie came, which was fun. (and this pic shows me and Cece matching….who wore it best? ha!)IMG_8600.JPG

 

Sunday night, I just food prepped and hung out with Tyler.  We had dinner, watched some TV, and rested.  Great weekend!

 

How was your weekend?  Anything fun happen? Fill me in!

 


Filed Under: concerts, Tyler, weekend, Zumba
30 July 2014 Weekend in the Boston Mountains: Part 3

Weekend in the Boston Mountains: Part 3

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On our last day of our weekend getaway, we crammed in a lot of stuff!
We started with breakfast at the cabin- she made breakfast casserole and AMAZING cinnamon rolls. Yum!
After breakfast, we headed back to Lake Fort Smith to do some hiking.  We stopped by the visitor center to get a map and decided to do the Ozark Highlands Trail (OHT).  This is actually a 160+ mile trail that has its western terminus at Lake Fort Smith.  We didn’t do 160 miles, but we did go about 1.25 miles into it, and then came back.
The trail was cleared off nicely.  Very easy to walk.  It did have some inclines up and down hills, but the brush was cleared off the path well.
About 45 minutes in, we heard a branch crack….and we got quiet to look through the woods.
We finally spotted this little baby deer!  This fawn was being so still and let us get so close to it!
He finally bounded off into the woods and we kept walking.  About 100 yards up, we spotted another fawn!  This was one was a bit bigger.
Tyler got really close to it before it hopped off.
After our hike, we went back to the cabin to shower and pack up.  Then Tyler took me to the Jones Center in Springdale.  A Youtube Zumba instructor that I like – he is called the Wild Shaker!- was in town for a masterclass. I met up with 4 friends and we took the class together.
It was a fun but VERY TIRING class. He was super high energy the whole time.
After the class, we all went to Noodles for dinner, where we consumed our weight in bread and pasta after feeling like we burned 1000000 calories at that master class!
We made it home around 7 Sunday night.
We crammed so much into the weekend that it felt like we were gone for a week!  But, even though we did a lot of stuff, we still felt relaxed and renewed. It was a great weekend!

Filed Under: travel, Tyler, Zumba
12 June 2014 You asked: Can I Zumba everyday?

You asked: Can I Zumba everyday?

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One question my students and those friends I meet online ask is:

Can you do Zumba everyday?

Well, you can, but that doesn’t always mean you should. Let’s talk about how you could possibly take daily classes, along with some of the risks of daily strenuous exercise so you can decide if Zumba everyday is right for you.
 

Let’s talk about how you can do Zumba everyday.

Because of the accessibility of Zumba DVDs, video games, and Zumba on Youtube, you totally have the ability to do Zumba everyday.  You don’t have to wonder whether or not your gym offers daily Zumba classes because you have the ability to do Zumba each day right at your home. At the last publication of their facts, Zumba reported they had over 6 million people taking classes weekly in 50,000 classes offered in 75 countries….but that doesn’t mean there are enough local classes offered in your area for daily classes, so if you really want to do Zumba on a daily basis, you’ll have to invest in one of these at-home resources. So sure, you are capable of doing Zumba everyday, but should you?

Risks of taking Zumba Everyday

Over-exercising, no matter what the form of exercise is, can be harmful.  First off, it can put too much stress on your body, setting you up for injuries (which could sideline you from doing Zumba at all!).  But, several articles and studies have shown some negative side effects to daily strenuous exercise.  Zumba is a high-intensity, high-impact strenuous workout..so you need to use caution.
First off, two studies have shown links to daily strenuous exercise and heart attacks.  These studies have shown that 2-4 days per week and moderation are better for your body and your heart.
Another risk to doing Zumba each day is simply overtraining.  Overtraining can actually impede your body transformation because it doesn’t allow your body time to heal and muscles to rebuild. It can also cause you to use bad form while working out, because you are too sore to move properly. Overtraining can also weaken your immune system, causing you to get sick more, cause a loss of appetite, and simply cause you to burn out.  It’s not good.
So how can you prevent overtraining?  Honestly, I think you might want to refrain from doing Zumba everday, but instead aim for 2-4 times per week.  Now those other days, you don’t have to be sedentary, but you might want to try “active rest” days.  You can walk, do yoga, stretch, or maybe do some light swimming.  All of these things will keep you moving, but allow your body the ability to heal and rest.
So while you could do Zumba everyday, I think you would benefit from some rest days, or active rest days.  Take caution when planning your workout schedule.  I know Zumba is fun…but doing it everyday may not be healthy.  Even if you’re trying to reach goals…taking rest days or active recovery days is important to keep you on track.
Even though you want to do Zumba everyday, it may be better to take a rest day.
Let me know if you have any questions!

 


Filed Under: Zumba, Zumba 101
8 May 2014 How to Find Zumba Classes Near You

How to Find Zumba Classes Near You

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Are there Zumba classes nearby?

After becoming a sort of blog guru about Zumba, sometimes I get messages from folks looking for local Zumba classes.  There are thousands and thousands of Zumba instructors all over the world…so there may be a class near you!
So today I’m answering one of my most common questions: “are there Zumba classes near me?” The likely answer is yes – Zumba reports that 14,000,000 people take Zumba classes in over 185 countries and 140,000 facilities worldwide.
To find classes near you, you’ll want to go to Zumba.com and click/hover over “Classes”
How to find local Zumba classes online
Type in your zip code or city name.  I would start broad.  For example, I live 30 minutes outside of a bigger city.  I put the big city’s zip code in to find more options.  I would be ok taking a class in the city, not just in the little town I live in.
Depending on your location, you will find some options.  For this example, I searched Little Rock, AR and got 100 results.
Use the Zumba website to find Zumba classes near me
To narrow it down even more, you can search by class type.  
Narrow your options for nearby Zumba classes
Here are the different types of Zumba classes you may find nearby:
  • Zumba: A dance fitness class featuring music from around the world.
  • Zumba Step: A Zumba class incorporating a step for leg toning.
  • Zumba Toning: A Zumba class that uses toning sticks or light weights for resistance and toning.
  • Aqua Zumba: A Zumba class in the pool!
  • Zumba Sentao: A Zumba class that uses a chair to add toning moves.
  • Zumba Gold: An easy to follow low-impact Zumba class for beginners, deconditioned, or active older adults.
  • Zumba Gold Toning: Combines the low impact Zumba Gold with toning sticks for sculpting.
  • Zumba Kids: A dance fitness class for ages 7-11.
  • Zumba Kids Jr.: A dance fitness class for ages 4-6.
  • Zumbini: Classes for 0-3 year olds to wiggle, sing and learn with a parent or caregiver.
  • Zumba in the Circuit: Combines Zumba and strength training in a circuit format.
You can also narrow it down by day of the week or time of day.  
Now, please note this: this is NOT a perfect tool.  Instructors are responsible for reporting their schedules to Zumba.com, so PLEASE before you go to a class for the first time, check with the instructor or facility to double check the details are correct.
And, if you search your area and there are no Zumba classes near you, I would recommend doing an instructor search as well.  This will show you instructors in your area that you can contact.  It’s possible they are teaching, but just haven’t reported their class schedule to Zumba.

How do to an Instructor Search to find local Zumba Classes

To do an instructor search, click “Find an Instructor” and put in your area.  I would also increase the distance from the default 5 miles to 25/50.
Perform an instructor search online if you can't find Zumba classes near you
Then, you can click “View Profile” or view their personal websites to contact them for more information. They should all either have contact forms or list an email of some sort.
I hope that helps you find a nearby Zumba class!  Let me know if you need any help finding a Zumba class near you!

Filed Under: Zumba, Zumba 101