It's all in the accessories

 You'll have heard me mention my Zumba exercise class in previous monthly round ups and how much I enjoy that hour of dancing, so for this Monday's post I thought I would share a little of what we do.  

My instructor is a powerhouse of energy - and her enthusiasm is so contagious.  We are all ladies of a certain age so our version of Zumba is called Zumba Gold but don't think that means she doesn't put us through our paces!  She is in her early 50s and originally from Venezuela.  She absolutely loves her latin music and dances.  We have so much variety in our routines from modern chart music to Bollywood via salsa and line dancing!  We never know what combination of routines we will be doing.

So my bag of 'props' is growing by the week.  This week it had to include wearing something red as it was Valentine's week (I chose a tutu and feather boa) and a hat for line dancing.  I don't have a stetson so a beach hat had to improvise!

The bag also contained a pair of maracas, belly dancing coin skirt, finger scarves and a large scarf for swishing around in flamenco inspired songs.  Honestly, it is so much fun.  Everyone is so friendly and it's such a great atmosphere in there.

The first time I went, I was on my own and a little apprehensive in case the Zumba part of it was too intense for me but I was soon absorbed into the group and realised that everyone was so friendly and no one took it too seriously.  It's all about having fun and keeping active.  It's not always easy to make new friends as you get older but a class like this is absolutely perfect for getting to know new people.  

If you've never tried this kind of exercise before, and I say this as someone who is not  one of the most energetic people in the world, please do consider trying it if you see a class advertised.  It really is one of the best decisions I made when I took early retirement!