Loaded with red-hot dance steps, pulsating Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow routines, this invigorating dance-fitness “party” will have you movin’, groovin’ and shakin’ the weight off to the sexy, exotic rhythms of salsa, cumbia, samba, merengue and more! Work your body from head to toe with four DVDs and six exhilarating workouts that teach you all the basics and hit your favorite targets, like your core, thighs and abs. You also get maraca-like Toning Sticks to add some muscle to your body sculpting routines. Now’s the time! Get ready to “Join the Party” and see a whole new side of yourself!
Zumba Fitness Total Body Transformation System DVD Set includes: 1) Zumba Fitness Basics Workout; 2) Zumba Fitness 20-Minute Express Workout; 3) Zumba Fitness Sculpt & Tone Workout; 4) Zumba Fitness Cardio Party Workout; 5) Zumba Fitness Live! Workout; 6) Zumba Fitness Flat Abs Workout; 7) 2 Zumba Fitness Toning Sticks
Every Tuesday, at 7:30 pm, you can swing to the Latin beat & burn 300 – 800 calories with Zumba Fitness in Walnut Creek at Tice Valley Gym (2055 Tice Valley Blvd), Group Ex studio. To get more details about registration, simply email me at: Janice@ZumbaContraCosta.com
What are people saying about Janice’s Zumba classes?
Jean H., a regular Zumba Walnut Creek – Tice student has this to say:
Zumba is an aerobic, toning exercise class that meets my exercise needs. I love moving to the rhythm of dance music, so Zumba with its dance and exercise focus is a perfect combination. Along with this, I am able to have my personal fantasy “Dancing with the Stars” moments as I move through the dance steps!
Janice’s Zumba classes motivate me to continue to participate. Janice encourages all her students to get to his/her personal best throughout the class. Understanding that her students are not dancers, Janice structures her classes so that she moves around the room to demonstrate particular dance patterns for groups of participants. You always feel that you can do it, when Janice is in the lead.
MauraW. says:
Zumba is great because it’s hardly like you’re working out! Feels like you’re just dancing with your friends! Janice is super fun and the class is low pressure; anyone can feel comfortable doing it!
When invited to a 4th of July picnic, what is the quickest, healthy last-minute scrumptious salad you can make to bring? Below is one of my favorite easy recipes which can be prepared in 5 minutes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ cups diced ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup sweet / purple onion (optional)
2 medium ears fresh corn, cooked or uncooked (your choice) [Substitute if necessary, 1 cup cooked frozen corn kernels]
fresh basil leaves, to taste (dried basil can be substituted)
1 Tablespoon + 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar [red wine vinegar works well too]
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
PREPARATION:
In medium bowl combine tomatoes & onion.
Scrape corn off cobs to make about 1 cup & add to tomato mixture.
Shred basil leaves & add to tomato mixture.
In small bowl or jar with tight-fitting lid combine vinegar, oil & 1/8 tsp. salt (opt.)
Mix well or shake to combine
Add to tomato mixture and toss to coat.
Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Cover & refrigerate for about 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
Yield: 4 servings
1 ½ cups diced ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup sweet / purple onion (optional)
2 medium ears fresh corn, cooked or uncooked (your choice)
[Substitute if necessary, use 1 cup cooked frozen corn kernels]
fresh basil leaves, to taste (dried basil can be substituted)
1 Tablespoon + 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar [red wine vinegar works well too]
If you haven’t heard of Zumba, the Latin music dance workout, it’s time to step it up and check it out.
Take one look at the Weight Watchers Community and you’ll see that more and more Weight Watchers members are discovering that Zumba is an effective and — most importantly — fun way to burn calories and collect activity POINTS® values.
Typically an hour long, a Zumba class typically combines salsa, hip hop, samba, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton and belly dancing moves and is customizable for men and women at all fitness levels. For example, if you’re more advanced you could add a turn or a hop to a particular move. Unlike traditional step and aerobics classes, there’s no choreography to remember, so don’t be nervous if you’re not a trained dancer. The instructor just changes from doing one step over and over to another step, so the class has a fluid progression. Zumba enthusiasts stress that a typical class doesn’t feel like a workout at all, but a dance party.
Zumba routines include interval training with both fast and slow rhythms. Classes also use resistance training to tone muscles while burning fat.
You can also try a Zumba Toning class which uses toning sticks, 2.5 pound weights that double as maracas to up the fun (and muscle building) level.
Basic Zumba steps
The Merengue March: A basic Latin dance step where you’re essentially walking in place while moving your hips a little right to left. Your arms are about even with your chest and bent at the elbows about 90 degrees. The Booty Circle: Exactly what it sounds like, you move your hips in a circular motion along to the beat of the music. The Andale: Take a step with your left foot and bring your right knee up with a small hop. Step backwards on to your right foot and do a small kick backwards with your left foot. Repeat. Then start with your right foot. The Reggaeton Stomp: with your feet together and your torso bent slightly forward, you just alternate stomping each foot slightly in front of you: left, right, left, left; right, left, right, right.
Meet a Zumbaholic
Anita Sado, a self-proclaimed “Zumbaholic” and a Weight Watchers Leader says the class works almost all of the body’s muscle groups. “You definitely work your core and your booty. You’ll also feel it in your upper arms, shoulders, across your chest and in your quadriceps.”
“The whole idea is that you’re not thinking about working out while you’re taking class,” says Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba Fitness. “You feel like you’re in a nightclub, so Zumba is perfect for those who typically don’t get excited about working out.”
Zumba was started by chance more than 10 years ago by Beto Perez, an aerobics instructor in Miami, FL. One day he arrived at the gym and realized he’d forgotten the music he typically used to teach. So he went out to his car and grabbed his personal collection — salsa and merengue. The class focused more on freestyle dance than set choreography, which had the class members asking to do the same type of class the following week. The rest, as they say, is history.
The class spread like wildfire and is now available at more than 50,000 locations in 75 countries around the world. In the US, you can find Zumba classes at many 24 Hour Fitness, Bally Total Fitness, Equinox, Town Sports, YMCA and Gold’s Gym locations.
Jill Bennett-Weiss lost weight combining Weight Watchers and Zumba. “It’s so fun and liberating to be able to shake your butt,” she says. “You’re made to think that only skinny beautiful people can do it, but seeing all ages and sizes in the class is very encouraging.”
Say goodbye to shy
If you’re intimidated by Zumba, don’t be. Maria McCalister, a long-time Zumba instructor, says you have to go to a few classes before you really get the hang of it. “I have students who started out shy and a bit awkward who have transformed into totally different people. Plus, you have to remember the other people in the class are watching me, they’re not watching you.”
She also says it’s key to remember that everyone at one time or another had their first class, too. “You’re all there for the same reason,” Bennett-Weiss says.
Sado agrees. “You need to trust that you’re in a safe place, as safe as a Weight Watchers meeting. But you have to have the attitude that you’re doing it for you and you’re doing it to have fun.”
Gyms can pick their own pricing model for the class (either offer it free, or for a fee).
Zumba has reached an almost cult-like status among its loyal followers. Perlman says he’s seen many students who actually have Zumba tattoos. And essentially anyone can do it — not only hardcore movers and shakers. Zumba has developed Zumba Gold for seniors and beginners, as well as ZumbAtomic for kids.
For more info about classes in Contra Costa’s Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Pleasant Hill, or Concord, see SCHEDULE page.
Today Janice of Zumba Contra Costa prepared walkers for the Weight Watcher Walk-it Challenge in Pleasant Hill (San Francisco’s East Bay area). Fleet Feet of Pleasant Hill hosted the walkers by supplying t-shirts, water, and healthy snacks. Starting at 7:30 a.m. Janice warmed and toned the 300 Weight Watchers’ muscles and prepared them for their 5K (3.1 miles) walk-it challenge around the town of Pleasant Hill in Contra Costa County. Everyone finished the walk thrilled and energized, while feeling their endorphin-rush.
Janice teaches Zumba Fitness classes and Zumbatomic (Kids’ Zumba) in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Lafayette & Concord. Janice@ZumbaContraCosta.com
My great-grandfather moved from Jerusalem to Colombia at age 20 because he heard there were business opportunities there. He went from town to town selling textiles on horseback although he didn’t speak a word of Spanish.
When I was about 6, I had a watch that had a game on it. I loaned it to a classmate on weekends, and he gave me money in exchange. One weekend my mom me asked where my watch was. When I told her, she called the boy’s mother to apologize and made me return all the money. My father was proud. He said I invented renting.
It was a dangerous time in Colombia in the 1980s. Every time the government would pursue the drug dealers, they’d retaliate and bomb government buildings and public places. We’d hear the popping sounds at school. My dad owned a factory that made leather goods, and when I was 9 we were glad to live in the United States for six months while he opened a distribution center in Florida.
I moved back to the United States in 1994, and in 1998, I graduated from Babson College in Massachusetts with a B.A. in finance and information systems. Working as a management consultant for a while, I analyzed call centers for a bank to determine the effectiveness of its TV advertising. It was boring, but I learned about direct response marketing, which would come in handy later.
When I went home to Colombia to visit, my mother would rave about a fitness class she was taking with Alberto Perez, whom everyone calls Beto, that involved a dance routine set to Latin and international music.
In 1999, I created a business conference called Latin Venture with a partner, where Latin American entrepreneurs presented their business plans. I got companies like I.B.M. and Telefónica to sponsor it, and I lined up venture capitalists as speakers and panelists. We held the conference in Miami.
Then three partners and I created Spydre Labs, a business incubator for Latin American entrepreneurs with ideas for Internet businesses. We raised several million dollars and invested in the start-ups we created.
Then the tech bubble burst, funding dried up, and I had to let everyone go. I decided to return what remained of the investors’ money because my father always taught me that if you’re honest and respectful, it will come back to you tenfold.
My parents had moved to Miami by then, and I had dinner at their house that night. My mother suggested that I talk to Beto about starting a business related to his fitness routine. He had also moved to Florida and was giving fitness classes here.
He and I met and discovered that neither of us had any money. We decided to start a company anyway, and I asked Alberto Aghion, one of my best friends from childhood, to join us. We wanted to sell home fitness videos directly to consumers, so one night we set up on the beach and had a videographer film a fitness class. We started looking for joint venture partners for producing videos we could market on television.
Along with a TV infomercial, the home videos introduced our concept to the public, and when people called wanting to be trained as instructors, the company took off. Zumba Fitness is now in about 50,000 locations in 75 countries. This year we’re introducing a game for Nintendo Wii, Xbox and PlayStation.
I’ve learned that if you don’t take a risk, that’s a risk in itself. I’ve also learned that your customers are your boss. Our main customers are our instructors, who pay for training. They have their own community on our site, and I listen carefully when they tell me what we need to do in the future.
As told to Patricia R. Olsen. (Appeared in NY Times.com 5/21/2010)
Best-selling author Marci Shimoff shares her insight on what it takes to be genuinely content in a (sometimes) contentious world.
(Reprinted with permission)
In an uncertain economy, we may be forced to ask ourselves, “What do I truly need to be happy?” Research shows that long-term satisfaction doesn’t really come from material things—or even personal achievement—so how do we learn to be happy regardless of what is happening in our lives?
The good news is that it’s possible. In research for my book, Happy for No Reason (Simon & Schuster, Inc.), I interviewed scores of scientists and one hundred people identified as “unconditionally happy,” and discovered that there’s a state of inner peace and well-being that isn’t dependent on external circumstances. I call that state “happy for no reason.” It was a big “a-ha” moment when I realized that there is a continuum of happiness:
UNhappy
We all know what this means: life seems flat. Some of the signs are anxiety, fatigue, feeling blue or low—your “garden-variety” unhappiness. This isn’t the same as clinical depression, which is characterized by deep despair and hopelessness, for which professional help is absolutely necessary.
Happy for BAD Reason
When people are unhappy, they often try to make themselves feel better by indulging in addictions or behaviors that may feel good in the moment but are ultimately detrimental. They seek the highs that come from drugs, alcohol, excessive sex, “retail therapy,” compulsive gambling, over-eating, and too much television watching, to name a few. This kind of “happiness” is hardly happiness at all. It is only a temporary way to numb or escape our unhappiness through fleeting experiences of pleasure.
Happy for GOOD Reason
This is what people usually mean by happiness: having good relationships with our family and friends, success in our careers, financial security, a nice house or car, or using our talents and strengths well. It’s the pleasure we derive from having the healthy things in our lives that we want.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for this kind of happiness! It’s just that it’s only half the story. Being happy for good reason depends on the external conditions of our lives—if these conditions change or are lost, our happiness usually goes too. Relying solely on this type of happiness is where a lot of our fear stems from these days. We’re afraid the things we think we need to be happy may slip from our grasp. I call that the “Myth of I’ll-Be-Happy-When.” How many of the following statements sound familiar to you?
I’ll be happy when I have the perfect mate.
I’ll be happy when I have a better job.
I’ll be happy when I have a baby.
I’ll be happy when the kids are in school.
I’ll be happy when I retire.
True happiness doesn’t come from merely collecting an assortment of happy experiences. At our core, we know there’s something more than this. It’s the next level on the happiness continuum…
Happy for NO Reason
When you’re happy for no reason, you don’t need to manipulate the world around you to make yourself happy. You bring happiness to your everyday experiences rather than trying to extract happiness from them.
An added benefit of this state is that the happier you are, the more successful you become! Research shows that happy people naturally have greater opportunities—better health, deeper friendships—and tend to earn more money.
So how can you be happy for no reason? Science is showing the way. Researchers in the field of positive psychology have found that we each have a “happiness set-point,” that determines our level of happiness. No matter what happens, whether it’s something as exhilarating as winning the lottery or as challenging as a horrible accident, most people eventually return to their original happiness level.
Like your weight set-point, which keeps the scale hovering around the same number, your happiness set-point will remain the same unless you make a concerted effort to change it. In the same way you’d crank up the thermostat to get comfortable on a chilly day, you actually have the power to reprogram your happiness set-point to a higher level of peace and well-being. The secret lies in practicing the habits of happiness. Here are some:
1. Incline your mind toward joy.
Have you noticed that your mind tends to register the negative events in your life more than the positive? If you get ten compliments in a day and one criticism, what do you remember? For most people, it’s the criticism. Scientists call this our “negativity bias”—our primitive survival wiring that causes us to pay more attention to the negative than the positive. To reverse this bias, get into the daily habit of consciously registering the positive around you: the sun on your skin, the taste of a favorite food, a kind word from a co-worker. Take a moment to savor it deeply. Spend a full 20 seconds soaking up the happiness you feel.
2. Let love lead.
One way to power up your heart’s flow is by sending loving kindness to your friends and family, as well as strangers you pass on the street. Next time you’re waiting for the elevator at work, stuck in a line at the store or caught up in traffic, send a silent wish to the people you see for their happiness, well-being and health. Simply wishing others well switches on the “pump” in your own heart that generates love and creates a strong current of happiness.
3. Lighten your load.
To make a habit of letting go of worries and negative thoughts, start by letting go on the physical level. Cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien recommends giving or throwing away 27 items a day for nine days. This deceptively simple practice will help you break attachments that no longer serve you.
4. Boost your mood.
The way that you eat, move, rest and even your facial expressions can shift the balance of your body’s feel-good neuro-chemicals in your favor. To dispense some extra “joy juice,” smile. Scientists have discovered that smiling decreases stress hormones and boosts happiness chemicals, which increase the body’s T-cells, reduce pain, and enhance relaxation. You may not feel like it, but smiling—even artificially at first—starts the ball rolling and will turn into a real smile in short order.
5. Hang with the happy.
We catch the emotions of those around us just like we catch their colds—it’s called emotional contagion. So it’s important to make wise choices about the company you keep. Create appropriate boundaries with emotional bullies and “happiness vampires” who suck the life out of you. Develop your happiness “dream team”—a mastermind or support group you meet with regularly to keep you steady on the path of raising your happiness.
“Happily ever after” isn’t just for fairy tales or for only the lucky few. Imagine experiencing inner peace and well being as the backdrop for everything else in your life. When you’re “Happy for No Reason,” it’s not that your life always looks perfect. It’s that, however it looks, you’ll still be happy!
About the Writer: Marci Shimoff is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy For No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul and is a featured teacher in the hit film, The Secret. Marci is also an international speaker and expert on success, happiness and the law of attraction as well as being a huge Zumba enthusiast. Learn more at happyfornoreason.com.
Get to know, Husband-Wife Students - Garth & Jenny Andrews
It is with great pleasure that I present to you a new feature of Zumba Contra Costa.com, Student of the Month. In creating this community feature, my goal is to get people to learn more about one another, since there’s not much time to chat during a Zumba class. Lasting friendships are often made in Zumba class because it’s so much fun, it’s like a party!
I am pleased to introduce to you Garth & Jenny Andrews, my first husband-wife Zumba students. As you can see below, Garth & Jenny like to do things together and with their hectic lifestyle, which includes four daughters and all of their activities, it is difficult to find time to do things together as a couple. Zumba in Walnut Creek fit the bill for Garth & Jenny. They can be together and get a great, fun workout.
Tell me a little bit about yourselves, such as how long married, how many children, career, hobbies, or other interests.
We have been married for twenty years and have four daughters, ages 16, 15, 11 and 10. Garth is a managing partner of an Internet marketing company, One Compass. I am a retired flight attendant, and now stay home full time to take care of my family (someone’s gotta drive all those kids around). We love doing things as a family. Tae Kwon Do is another physical activity that the family enjoys and plan to introduce Zumba to the kids as well.
What attracted you two to Zumba class?
Garth: It looked like something that we could both enjoy as it combined a high energy workout with something we both love to do, which is dance.
What is your favorite thing about taking Zumba?
It’s exercise that is actually fun and something we both enjoy, which means… we’ll stick with it!
How did you hear about Zumba, and specifically how did you hear about Janice’s class at Tice Valley Gym, Walnut Creek? Jenny: In searching for a Zumba class, there were a couple of things that were required; I wanted to make sure the instructor was a qualified licensed instructor in Zumba Fitness, and the class time had to be convenient for both of us. We found Janice on the actual Zumba website.
Have you done Latin or any other dancing in the past?
Jenny: I have absolutely no Latin or any other dance background. Garth has a background in dance dating back to his college days. We both enjoy dancing leisurely and love the rhythmic Latin dance steps in Zumba.
What is your favorite Zumba step, Salsa, Cumbia, Meringue, Reggaeton (Latin hip hop), Belly Dance, or Bollywood?
Garth: My favorite Zumba step is Salsa because I feel it epitomizes the heart of the Latin beat. Jenny: Too hard to chose, I like them all.
How do you feel after taking a Zumba class?
Happy because it’s a fun experience and it’s a good workout.
Garth, for men with no dance background and who are intimidated by going to a group exercise class such as Zumba, what advice or encouragement do you have?
Most people like to dance, but I think that men are usually more self-conscious. The atmosphere and energy in the Zumba class is pretty infectious and you are constantly moving without really having time to think about what you are doing or how you look doing it, you just have fun.
Since the writing of this interview, Jenny enrolled one of her teenage daughters in Zumba as well.
Zumba® Fitness at Tice Valley Gym’s beautiful exercise studio meets every Tuesday night at 7:30 pm. If you would like more information about this or any Zumba Contra Costa class, simply email me at: Janice@ZumbaContraCosta.com
Zumba Tice Walnut Creek parties after 5-week session
“It’s fun & it’s easy,” said Barbara after her first Zumba class at Tice Valley Gym’s beautiful exercise studio. Barbara, as well as a total of 30 students came out every Tuesday night for 5 weeks to join the party. As you know by now, Zumba is known as exercise in disguise because the music is infectious and makes you feel like you’re at a Latin night club. Whether we’re doing salsa, tango, cumbia, belly dance, or Bollywood, we’re burning 300 – 800 calories per hour. It’s worth coming out at 7:30. After every 5 weeks we celebrate the healthy hearts we’re maintaining.
If you would like to join the fun, the time is now to try Zumba Fitness at Tice Gym in Walnut Creek. New session begins next Tuesday, March 23rd. Register now by going to www.WalnutCreekRec.org or calling 925.943.5858. Questions? Contact me at Janice@ZumbaContraCosta.com.
The music was loud and Latin. The level of upbeat energy in the San Diego Convention Center ballroom was nuclear. The crowd of 700 ZUMBA® fitness enthusiasts worked their booties off with moves that fused steps from Latin, hip hop, African and belly dancing with a fast-paced cardio workout. The sweat was running, but the atmosphere was as much party as it was exercise.
Why was everyone grinning Thursday night as they shook those hips, worked those abs, squatted, lunged, and danced almost non-stop for an hour and a half? Because this Master Class was being led by Beto Perez, a celebrity fitness trainer and choreographer who invented ZUMBA® back in the mid ’90s in his native Columbia and has made it today’s fastest-growing workout program.
For many in the crowd, Beto, who just turned 40, is the god of ZUMBA. From one end of the stage to the other, he exhibited phenomenal energy, swiveling his hips in the way seemingly only Latin dancers can, moving his feet with lightning speed, and clowning with the crowd while encouraging them to push even harder. He never stopped smiling and seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself with every step. His incredibly fit “team” of several women and one man joined him onstage for most of the numbers, inspiring and entertaining. After the program ended, Beto was still smiling as he graciously posed for photos and chatted with the hundreds of fans wanting to meet him.
Exercise endorphins aside, Beto has good reason to be happy. The growth of ZUMBA’s popularity has been phenomenal. Every gym and fitness center in almost every country in the world is scrambling to offer it, and most classes are filled to capacity. In the San Diego area, there are over 100 different facilities offering numerous classes each.
The range of ZUMBA’s appeal was reflected in the makeup of the class at Thursday’s event, which was held in conjunction with the IHRSA Fitness Industry trade show taking place through Saturday at the convention center. (Beto and his team will be doing demos there through Saturday, March 13). Young women with incredible bodies in ab-baring outfits worked out alongside middle-aged women in sweats. Although the crowd was mostly female, there were a good number of men, and even some children. Many in the class, such as Adriana Rodriguez from Chula Vista and Azi Farsoudi from San Diego, were instructors themselves. Others were first timers; most were somewhere in between.
Ben Elhy, who has been taking ZUMBA classes four times a week for about the last three months, summed up the appeal: “It’s just a really fun workout with full class participation. The steps are relatively easy to follow, and you can fit right in no matter what level you’re at.”
When asked if he’s surprised by the success of the program he created, Beto Perez thinks carefully before answering. “No, I had this dream a long time ago and saw how much people loved it,” he says. “But what’s surprised me are the consequences, how I’ve changed peoples lives. ZUMBA isn’t just a work out, it’s like a party and it is fun, so people who never liked to exercise before do it and keep it up. They lose weight, or they regain energy after surviving cancer, or they make money teaching it, or some such thing. Even tonight, which was a fundraiser for Augie’s Quest, we raised over $30,000 to hopefully change the lives of those suffering from ALS.”
Augie’s Quest is named for Augie Nieto, of Corona Del Mar, a prominent leader in the fitness industry for nearly three decades, and who is now suffering with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. At Thursday night’s class, an emotional Beto read a letter from Augie who is now unable to walk or talk due to the disease, thanking the participants who had each paid a $25 donation to attend.
“I love coming to San Diego”, says Beto, who now lives in Miami. “The weather is perfect, people are so fit, and because we use mostly Latin music and dance steps, San Diego, with its large Hispanic population and influences, is the perfect venue for ZUMBA.
None of the 700 attendees Thursday night would have argued with that.
