I tried to steal his blues ...

Did a Zumba class with my wife this morning. She really loves to dance, so this is something she really enjoys. Here's my perspective ...

I think the instructor is what makes the class. If you've got a lousy instructor, it's probably not very fun or intense. Our instructor was cool. She's got a lot of enthusiasm and character which makes the class enjoyable. She also does the entire workout with us, so instead of telling us how to do something, she's showing us how to do it. She also does a chirp and whistle kind of thing throughout the workout. I'm not sure how to describe it, but she kind of sounds like R2-D2 when she cues us to switch to another move.

If you're really coordinated, I suppose it is even more fun, but I wouldn't know. I can't dance (insert Genesis musical cue), so I do rough approximations of the official movements, which is allowed. It's not easy, but there are enough reps for me to figure it out eventually. And while it's inspired by dance, it's not really dancing either. You don't need to know how to do much to make it a good workout.

Quality of workout? Personally, it's a little outside my comfort zone, so I prefer some of the more traditional workout classes. I work up a sweat, so it's a good workout. There's a lot of fun music and good variety in movement, so it can be a great "change of pace" workout. I'm also doing it with my wife, which makes it extra cool.

I do know that in just about every class I've taken at Spiece, girls outnumber the guys by a long shot. I'm talking like ten or more to one in several of the classes. I usually feel a little weird when the instructor says "okay, girls do _____ ... (brief pause) ... and the guy can do it too." If you're a single guy thinking about getting into shape, maybe knowing this ratio is just the thing you needed to motivate you to kick into gear.