Day 32 ! Zumba Toning

Who doesn’t love being pleasantly surprised? Like finding a gorgeous dress and being told at he checkout that it's actually in the sale and two-thirds of the price that you had mentally accepted to part with already. Or finding your favourite strawberry yoghurt oat crunch is 2-4-1 at the supermarket. Or realising that the flat you want to buy had someone pass away  (in a peaceful, serene, non-ghost appearing way) so the price has been slashed. It’s all good!

So Zumba Toning, I was expecting something like normal Zumba (Day 23 Zumba), with maybe some squats or leg-lifts thrown into the mix to justify the “Toning”. But no! You get props! And not any old prop, a maraca! Two maracas in fact, in either green (0.7kg each) or purple (1.1kg). Officially, they are called “toning sticks,” but with a ball-end and gritty sand inside, I’d call it a maraca. Besides, toning stick = boring, maraca = fun to say and fun to play (with)! And before you scoff at the weight of the maracas (you know who you are), you should be aware that you are holdin’ and shakin’ the maracas for almost every song. For 50mins. Your arms won’t break but if you are shaking with energy for every song, you will certainly feel it by the end.

When I tried normal Zumba on Day 23, I’d thought that the music was more mainstream and less specifically South African salsa-style. For Zumba Toning, it was even less so. There were a couple of the trademark Zumba-heyyy songs, which I recognized but other songs included Tina Turner’s Rolling on the River and the classic Stand By Me. And before you scoff that those are songs that you can exercise to, oh you can. Listen to Rolling on the River and I dare you (even in your seat) to not be smiling and shaking to the song once it hits that key change – and yes, I am listening to it as I type. Stand By Me was a little bit slower but holding your arms up with the maracas for 4 minutes will be firming those bingo wings regardless!

I am not sure whether the routines are firmly set by Mr. Zumba or whether instructors can get creative with the routines but if they can, Instructor Topaz did a mighty fine job. The moves do need a certain degree of concentration at first but as they are repeated over and over within each song, the whole class will get it before the song finishes. And it’s not so much the moves themselves (which are overall, pretty simple), more that the speed or transitions need some getting used to. And you will get used to it! No matter your fitness level, you will be able to enjoy the class – you can miss out the turns or you can replace steps with more energetic hops - there are variations for all levels.      

One piece of advice – if there aren’t enough maracas for the whole class (I predict the classes will get busier as Zumba Toning becomes more popular than Zumba), try and get the maracas. They may look a bit like dumbbells but that shaky sand noise and feeling in inexplicably more fun than normal dumbbells!

The Need To Know:

- Where: Islington Tennis Centre (Part of Aquaterra)

- Nearest Station: Caledonian Road & Barnsbury Overground (10mins)

- When: Wednesdays 6.40pm (50mins), Thurs 12.15 (55mins) – Remember I’m still catching up from last week’s trip home!

- How Much: Drop-in around £7.50 for single class

  

The Want to Know:

- Who’s it For: For those who love music and shakin’ around.

- Sweat Scale: 7/10.

- Strength / Cardio / Flexi / Tone: Cardio and toning

- Complexity: 7/10. Needs some focus at first!

- Fun Factor: 8/10.

- Changing Facilities: Showers, toilets, smaller place than other Aquaterra leisure centres

- Instructor Inspiration: 7/10. Infectious liveliness!

The Stats:

- Total Time: 51mins

- Calories Burnt: 235. Just less than yesterday (Day 31 Sweaty Betty Outdoor Bootcamp) but felt less like working out

- Average Heart Rate: 106

- Max Heart Rate: 157

Assistant Instructor, Me and Instructor Topaz!