WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR

A Letter to my zumba clients at Veva Fitness Centre.

You are the reason I stay up all night to memorize dance moves and search for new exciting music from South America, the reason I have unlimited internet and the reason my muscles ache every Monday morning. You all inspire me in different ways- from your different background, race, culture and religion. 

Don't get upset when I tell you it  takes around 4 weeks for your body to start experiencing amazing transformation. Veva is not a Maximum Miracle Centre. If it took you 2 years to accumulate all that weight don't assume it will take you less than 1 week to shed it off! 

So..While you patiently wait for your weight to start decreasing, here are some things you need to know about your zumba instructor.

• Zumba instructors get tired too. Many of us have errands during the day and  work full-time before stepping into the gym. Please don't make me shout for you to move.

•  Zumba instructors usually have at least one regular that they rely on for small things – putting out a fan when it is hot, making a head count for the office (not easy when the heads are moving and bobbing!), and for keeping the energy up with calls, hoots etc. I try not to take it personally that even subs immediately look to me to be the resident loudmouth! 

• Zumba instructors have to work harder than the rest of the class. Multitasking is a MUST!  I have to remember the choreography, do the moves with more energy and definition while at the same time signal next moves. 

•  Zumba instructors have their favorite styles of dance and songs. While we try to make sure we have a variety of dance  for fitness reasons, it isn't your imagination that I sometimes tend to have more Reggeaton and Lingala but less of salsa. 

• Zumba instructors worry about the same embarrassing things you do – for instant, if the sweat has made me look like I've  pee’d my pants, or for the ladies, make-up dripping down in form of sweat and wiping mascara off their face.

• Zumba instructors tend to work in more than one place. Besides Veva Centre, I have about 3 other places I train- Norfolk, Laborex, PFaiser, random events such as weddings, bridal shower, birthdays etc. This explains why I sometimes  look like I've been hit by a bus within the first 10 minutes of a workout.

• Zumba instructors have different ways that they use to try and make things fun. Some rely on a few songs with calls, some set up competitions between one side of the gym and another, some call up regulars to come up front. Me on the other side tend to use funny words like 'kata hiyo tumbo'( cut that stomach) ,  'shake your organs' or 'stretch your appendix'   all these in the hopes of making it a fun experience for you. Please don't correct my medical terms am not here to learn Biology. 

• Zumba instructors can get hurt. With so many teaching everyday, and sometimes more than once a day, we are prone to the same overuse injuries you complain about. So please stop coming up with excuses as to why you can't jump high enough or  throw your hands up in the air like you just don't care. 

•  Zumba instructors come from different backgrounds. Some are former aerobics trainer, others are from hip hop dance culture. There is a big difference between those with a cardio background versus dance background. The dance instructors’ moves tend to be less repetitive and sometimes lack as much definition. The cardio instructors’ moves can tend to be choppier on things like shimmys. Please don't  tell me that you saw  Tina Beardsley do a Bollywood/Shakira  belly dance on You Tube and expect me to do that. I come from a church girl dance kinda background. (There is no right or wrong here.)  

• Zumba instructors try to match their intensity level to the general fitness level of different clients. I always have modifications for those who need it and to ramp it up for those who want an even more intense workout. So if I decide to give you more intensity and leave out someone else, it does not mean I hate you and think you are fat. It is probably because the other person has asthma, back problem or low intensity tolerance than you. DON'T get offended.