Class Spotlight - Zumba Gold

The creators of Zumba build the Gold version for "older or deconditioned exercisers", which is hardly a description that gets folks beating down the door to work out, right?  I see Zumba Gold as an easy entry-point into dance-fitness.  My Gold class is just as much fun as the "regular" Zumba classes I teach, just done at a slightly less frenetic pace.  We don't jump up and down, we don't switch moves quite as quickly, but we still rock out to world music.  The slight adjustments to the regular format make Zumba Gold a great option for all sorts of people:

• pregnant/post-partum women,
• women recovering from an injury or illness,
• women looking to slow down and really learn the dance moves,
• women unsure of the Zumba format who want to test the waters before diving in,
• women seeking a lower-intensity workout, and, yes,
• older women

So, what should you expect when you give Zumba Gold a try?  Well, you still need to bring water, and wear non-running gym shoes.  We start with a warm-up before diving into the meat of the class.  We still have intervals of high and low intensity songs, with the typical blend of world and American music and dance moves.  You will find a song or two that will challenge your balance (thereby working on your core muscles) that you won't get in the "regular" Zumba classes.  We will, as always, finish out the class with a cool-down and stretch.  You won't sweat quite as much in Zumba Gold, and we rarely fog up the windows of the studio. 

I went for my Zumba Gold certification with the intention of opening up the fitness options for pregnant/postpartum women as well as for women who think, for whatever reason, that they can't take on an exercise routine.  While I find Zumba pretty darn accessible in general, I know it can seem a bit daunting after catching a glimpse of all the hard-bodies sweating up the screen on the commercials and infomercials that are out there.  Zumba really CAN be for EVERYONE, and Zumba Gold helps broaden the circle. 

What's the best way to figure out if Zumba Gold is a good fit?  Give it a try!  Will I see you at the studio next Thursday morning?  9:30 am - we'll be ready for you!

While working at the studio today, the idea of the "third space" came up in conversation.  The idea is that we all have two primary spaces, work and home, that get a lot of attention, but that there is another space that needs some play.  The Third Space is reserved for You - things that bring you joy, satisfaction, and fulfilment.  This is not to say that you can't find joy, satisfaction, and fulfilment in your work or home spaces, but that when you find them in your Third Space you get to experience them for yourself, without obligation or responsibility for anyone or anything else.

Interesting.

My Home Space is full and busy.  Husband, kids, and pets are the obvious inhabitants, but I think the Home Space can be broadened to include extended family, close friends, neighbors, and the communities formed at each of my kids' schools and our synagogue.  This space also holds obligations- cleaning, laundry, bill payment, homework management, and all the other glamourous aspects that happen at home.

My Work Space is, well, full and busy.  Studio visitors, doula clients, fellow practitioners, members of committees and groups, staff, and others fill the rolls here.  There are to-do lists, more bills to pay, associations to join, networking to do, things to clean, papers to file, classes to teach (and develop and market and manage), certifications to maintain, and new things to learn fill up any empty spots here.

So, the Third Space - what does it hold for me?  It is challenging for me to find things that exhist soley in this space.  You see, I have carefully created a work life that involves most of what I would imagine folks would put in their Third Space.  I love to knit, for example, but this dips into the Work Space since I teach knitting classes at the studio and host a monthly knitting meetup.  I love to dance, but I teach that at the studio, too - several times a week (sometimes several times a day).  I love working out (yes, I mean that), but get most of my workout time in at the studio.  What's left to put in my Third Space?  Watching TV with my husband?  I can't figure out a way to work that into my Work Space...  :-)

I think the Third Space, for me anyway, is all about intention.  If I pull out my knitting and decide that the time I'm taking to create something is time I'm giving to myself then that project - Poof! - happens in the Third Space.  If I turn my music on at home and start an impromptu improv set then that dance moment - Poof! - happens in the Third Space.  If I eke out 20 minutes to hide in the basement and work up a sweat with Wii Active then - Poof! - I'm working out in the Third Space.  What I am realizing, however, is that taking the time to develop that intention is challenging.  It is so easy to get caught up in the shuffle of the day-to-day stuff that *needs* to get done in the Home and Work Spaces that my Third Space (now that I know I have such a thing) gets neglected.  What makes this more interesting to me is that I think, for many of the folks who visit, I've created a Third Space destination with the studio.  If my business is to make space for people to find their Third Space, shouldn't I be sure to do the same for myself?  I don't ask folks to do workouts I don't do myself, I don't ask more from my dancers than I ask of myself, and I don't ask folks to give attention to their kids that I don't give my own, so why should this be any different?

I hope, now that my eyes have been opened to this Third Space idea, that I will be able to find the time and well, space, for some changes.  What do you see your three spaces made up of, and how do you carve out your Third Space?  Do you see your Third Space as a solitary place, or one you only enter in the company of friends?  If you neglect your Third Space what are the effects?

Share your answers or just ponder the questions for yourself.  :-)

Initial Thoughts

I have resisted the blog phenomenon for quite a while, so this, my first posting, is a significant event.  In preparation for creating this blog I was asked what my goals are in blogging.  As I am not a writer (which will become evident soon), this is a really good question.

I am blogging because I think I'm in the process of creating something really special at the studio, and I want to share that creation (both the process and the product) with people.  I want to further the community that is growing among the students at the studio.  I want to explore ideas that kick around in my head about body image, the quest for wellness, parenting, bellydance acceptance, exercise aversion, and more.  I want to share news about the variety of people who come to the studio and what they get out of the time they spend there.  I want to share photos and video.  I want a lot!

For these reasons, in addition to all the nudges I've had to start blogging, I begin.  We'll see where this takes me!