Nominated for Best Dance Classes, and...

Hip Circle Studio won!  We won "Best Dance Classes" in the Make it Better Best of 2013 contest.

But let me tell you a story...

I didn't know we were even nominated until I got a letter informing us of our win.  Honest!  Most of the time, these contests are won through lots of promotion on the business' part - sending emails out to all of their subscribers, posting about needed votes on Facebook and Twitter (and other social media outlets I haven't figured out yet), reminding customers to vote after every visit - you know the drill.

I didn't know we were in the running.

I didn't ask for a single vote.



When the email came, I was a bit skeptical.  I decided to play along, though, figuring it couldn't hurt.  I went to the magazine offices ready for a hard pitch to buy advertising and such, but what I got was a hot cup of coffee, some treats, and the opportunity to talk with the founder of the magazine about the studio.  It was lovely!  I also found out we didn't *fully* win.  Nope - we'd tied with two other dance classes:

Zumba and WERQ

Here's the thing...Zumba is an INTERNATIONAL sensation.  WERQ is a National brand.  Both entities license or certify instructors from all over to teach their classes.  Heck, I AM licensed to teach Zumba, and we offer WERQ at the studio, too.

How cool is it that my little studio, just 3 years old, with a single location, came out of the contest in a three way tie with these two giants!

So Awesome!

So I will be flying our Best of 2013 flag high this month (and beyond) and will float around for a while on this winner's high.

Thanks to everyone (whoever you are) for voting, and I really do hope coming to the studio helps make things better for you!

Jump, Start, Cruise

There's got to be something that gets you started on a path to wellness.  Something that happens (or doesn't happen) that makes you change for the better.

For me, that something was a threat.  Not from a person, but from my body.  I had found bellydance and fallen in love when my knees started to put up a fight.  Dancing around with my 240 pounds was too much for them and they let me know in no uncertain terms.  The threat of surgery or giving up dancing was real enough for me to jump into action.

I started my path to wellness by tackling my diet, feeling like I was already active enough - I was a dancer after all.  I did a fair amount of research into a variety of options (from meal replacement plans to surgery to "solution" diets) and landed on Weight Watchers.  It was hard to walk into that first meeting and face the fact that I had, according to the charts in the book, over 100 pounds to move, but it was a START.  And that was what I needed.  I tend to finish things I start (except for knitting and quilting) so taking that first step was super important.  I also went public with my plan by posting my intention on Facebook.  Now I had to do it, right?

I changed my eating habits with the help of their Core plan (which doesn't exist anymore, sadly) - I started eating regularly throughout my day instead of forgetting to eat for hours at a time.  I started eating tons of fruits and veggies and whole foods.  I started paying attention to portion sizes and nutrition labels.  I started losing weight.

I cruised through my first 20 pounds, going down every week, before physical fitness really came up.  When it did, I first tried to brush it off (again, I was a dancer...I was "active") but I really wanted to stay successful at my weight-loss process so I looked at my options.  I was working at the YMCA at the time and had a membership as an employee perk. I started on the treadmills and knew that wasn't something I wasn't likely to do long-term.  I tried a Zumba class on a whim since it happened right before a class I taught.  It was AWESOME - I danced for an hour and they called it "a workout"!  That was something I could get behind!  I did, however, know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't keep it up if I didn't *have* to. 

At over 200 pounds I was, by far, the largest person in the Zumba licensing workshop.  I didn't fit the mold (or the Zumba clothes they were selling), but I made it through the training and set out to teach my first class.

A year and a half later, I was 75 pounds lighter, my entire lifestyle had changed, and I was truly an Active, Healthy, Well person.  

Today a woman took a jump into the unknown by emailing me with questions about the studio, at the start of her journey to wellness.  I really hope I get the chance to help her find her cruise setting!

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!