Yesterday I went to the most fun workout class I have ever been to- Zumba!
Online at LA fitness they call it "latin heat" probably for copyright reasons, but the class was introduced as zumba, and I almost felt like I was tricked into working out while I was just having fun dancing.
Every song we did a separate routine, none complicated, but I definitely got a workout because I was sweating by the end... which was actually almost 15 minutes late, and I didn't even care!
The definition of a zumba class according to the wikipedia is:
"The Zumba workout provides fitness benefits because its routines feature interval training sessions with fast and slow rhythms and resistance training, which are intended to tone and sculpt the body while burning fat.[6]
Music is the key ingredient to Zumba classes. The score, created with specific beats and tempo changes, transitions the workout from one toning, strengthening or cardio move to another, and targets every major muscle group in the body. The Zumba program borrows Latin flavor from the following dance styles: Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue, Mambo, Flamenco, Chachacha, Reggaeton, Samba, Belly dancing, Bhangra, Hip Hop, and Tango. "
I just wanted to share how much fun I had in this class and I encourage anyone who hears about a class like this at their gym... go! I am by no means a good dancer, but I didn't even care, we were laughing, joking, enjoying the music and having a good time. I plan to continue going to this class instead of spin class. Lots of cardio in both, but one is much more fun.
The other topic of this blog is WWII, and this is just on my mind from reading Blackout by Connie Willis (only part 1 of two books, but very interesting read).
After I finished the book, I wanted to learn more about the Blitz and London's struggles. It was just amazing to learn what the people of London put up with during the Blitz. I know some of WWII history, but I never really studied the Blitz itself, or the fact that London stayed open and working and functioning while having to go into shelters almost every night for almost a year and never knowing if when they came out it was their house or their workplace that was destroyed. For a huge chunk of time, kids from great loving families were shipped off to other countries or the countryside of London to be raised by other people to protect them. Can you imagine? You as a parent miss 4 or more years of your son or daughter's life to just keep them safe? Some kids returned to visit during these times, but not all.
The shelters were sometimes tiny! Although there were underground shelters, and background shelters, some people used Morrison shelters, which looked like a box, that was 6 feet wide, 4 feet across and 2 feet 6 inches high. Wow! That's tiny! Can you imagine having to go there every night when the siren goes off, and stay there until it says its done.
I was curious why anyone would stay there during this intense time of bombing, why wouldn't you just leave? What I found is that it was from intense patriotism. Hitler wanted the London people to get so tired of bombing that they would push the government to surrender, that's why it was almost every night for almost a year (and then resumed later for another chunk of time). Instead, the London people "fought back" by keeping stores open, keeping factories going, continuing to work through all of the problems caused by having your city being bombed each night so that you could show Germany that you were not going to back down, you were not going to give in, and you could stand by your country's fight, no matter what it took! Crazy.
I saw this video too, and it shows exactly what I am talking about. It is a period video that was put on youtube. It's a bit long, but I found it very interesting.
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