Exercise in disguise

A Latin-inspired fitness craze gets your heart pumping, but can bring on fits of giggling, writes Kate Newton.

The bells are still in the steeple of St John's in the City but peals of giggles are ringing from the upstairs dance studio behind the inner-city church.

Inside, a dozen women are sashaying their hips and swirling their arms as instructor Ani Prasad leads them through the footwork of their Thursday night Zumba class.

Since the dance-fitness craze arrived in Wellington late last year, classes have mushroomed across the city, with hundreds following the exhortation to "join the party".

A kind of aerobics-Latin dance fusion, the now well-trodden explanation of Zumba's origin is that Colombian fitness instructor Beto Perez forgot to bring his usual aerobics tapes to class one day, so he improvised a routine to the Latin dance tapes he had in his backpack.

It quickly became the most popular class at his gym and is now a global phenomenon - complete with cheesy infomercials, three series of DVDs and Zumba-branded clothing.

Tagged as "exercise in disguise", it sounded like my kind of workout.

Now, trying to avoid spying myself in the mirrors lining the studio at St John's, I'm not so sure.

My dancing tends to be done in the dim lighting of city bars or friends' flats, arms flailing, legs twisting, bolstered by the false confidence of a couple of drinks.

With the cloak of darkness gone, I can't quite shake the feeling I look like a total dork; a conviction shared by the colleague I roped in as moral support and confirmed by the photos taken by The Dominion Post's gleeful photographer.

Class member Megan Hubbard, 28, assures me it's completely normal - and something to revel in: "It's nice to come on a Thursday evening and be stupid and have a dance and it doesn't matter what you look like."

She's been coming to Zumba for about a month, after getting hooked while living in Scotland.

"It's quite intimidating when you first come in but . . . anyone can do it.

"It's so much fun."

Instructor Ani, who has a background in hip-hop and has been teaching dance for 16 years, says people tend to be a bit sceptical about Zumba to begin with, and many find the frenetic pace tricky.

"The first class freaks people out that haven't had a dance background."

It can take a few classes to loosen into the rhythm and work out where to put your feet, but a lack of co-ordination isn't a problem, she says.

"You're still sweating, so the benefits are still there no matter what your co- ordination's like."

My huffing and puffing is proof of that - even though my salsa is more of a shuffle, the hip-swivelling, jumping and arm movements are keeping my face red enough to hide any embarrassment.

Though primarily a cardio workout, the moves are designed to improve suppleness and flexibility too.

However, most of the people in Ani's class keep coming back just because they enjoy it.

"A lot of people come down just because it's fun. You're just laughing all the way through."

More

You don't have to go far to find a Zumba class:

* Kanikani Zumba at St John's in the City, Thistle Hall and Ward VC Hall in Karori: $15 per class, check kanikani.org for times

* Zumbalicious run classes all over Wellington: $15 per class, check zumbalicious.co.nz for times and locations.

* Many gyms also offer Zumba classes, including Contours and Lifestyle Gym.

- © Fairfax NZ News