Happy New Year! Time for a talk...

Listen, I expect a lot of you will be making some resolutions for the New Year. It is nice to mentally wipe the slate clean and start fresh. But there are some cautions as you set those goals. Here's my schpeel:

http://zumbaspot.blogspot.com/2011/01/read-this-before-you-make-any-new-years.html

This is my post from last January explaining the difference between a good goal and a... uh, ... not so good goal. The "not-so-good" goals have a tendency to set yourself up for frustration and negative  feelings about yourself--which in turns leads to abandoning the goals altogether. NOT WHAT YOU WANT!

If your goals are to exercise more often and enjoy the benefits of regular exercise, I will do my part to make that a positive experience for you. I want YOU to do your part to make it positive by approaching it with a healthy attitude about WHY you are doing it. We'll make a great team this year!

Do the math

Americans spend $134 billion a year on fast food, $74 billion on soda, and $2 billion on candy JUST during Halloween. Then we spend over $60 BILLION a year on weight loss efforts. Hmmm...I think it could save a lot of time and money if you just toss a lot of those goodies and treats right in the trash. Even if the candy is on sale after the holiday, do you really want to PAY to have to have someone help you remove it from your back side?

I'm not saying you should never enjoy your favorite foods, but sometimes we eat just so things don't "go to waste." Do the math—Let it go!

Mix it up!

One of the things I really love about Zumba is that it gets people into the workout habit. It is so much fun, it is an easy habit to form! As you exercise, you start to feel better about yourself and your abilities, and you become more comfortable in the gym.

Your body may benefit from exploring some of the other options available to you. Maybe you could try lifting weights for a few minutes before class, or maybe you could go walk/run on the track a bit. Maybe you could even try spin class, or pilates, or water aerobics.

I gave this advice to my class last fall. One person actually listened and started doing different things. On the days she couldn't come to Zumba, she started running. She also explored some other classes like spin. She's lost 25 pounds because of it!

It is good to mix things up a bit. Keep your body working!

Song List for BYU Classes

Here are the list of songs we've done in our BYU class. Now you know exactly what to put on your iTunes wishlist. Merry Christmas!

Song Title	Artist	Rhythm
Adios Fulana	Zumba Fitness	Mapalé
Ana Pa Mi Tambor	La Excelencia	salsa
Ari Ari [Part 2]	Zumba Fitness	bhangra
Bailando Con Lola	Azucar Moreno	Rumba Flamenca
Bomba Camara		Salsa
Como Has Logrado	Vicente Garcia
Drum Rain*	Zumba	belly dance
El Amor	Tito El Bambino	cumbia
El Amor, El Amor*	Zumba Fitness	merengue/reggaeton
Feliz Navidad	Tito El Bambino	calypso
Forget You	Glee Cast
Fragilidad	Sting, Rhythms Del Mundo	salsa
Fuego A La Jicotea	Zumba Fitness	salsa
Funky Monkey	Rio Soundtrack	brazilian funk
I Love Salsa	N'Klabe	salsa
Karamu	John P. Kee	african
La Dueña del Swing	Los Hermanos Rosario	merengue
La Gota Fria		cumbia
La Pantera Mambo	Zumba Fitness	Salsa
La Vida Es Bella	Ana Isabelle	cumbia
Ladies' Choice	Zac Efron
Let's Get Loud	Jennifer Lopez
The Lion Sleeps Tonight	Lebo M	stretching
Mambo	Bandoleros	flamenca
Marcha Re	Terra Samba	Samba
Mr. Grinch	The Whirling Dervishes
Mr. Saxobeat (Radio Edit)	Alexandra Stan	warmup
Papi (Mixin Marc & Tony Svedja Radio)	Jennifer Lopez	warmup
Party Rock	LMFAO
Push Back	Square One	soca
Quebra As Cadeira*	Zumba Fitness	axé
Quedate Mas	Los Super Reyes	cumbia
Ritmo Caliente	Zumba Fitness	warmup
Rosa	Zumba Fitness	cumbia
Sacudelo	Willy Chirino	reggaeton
Salsaton	El Rubio Loco	salsaton
Smooth	Santana	cha cha
Sobreviviré (I Will Survive)	Azucar Moreno	flamenco
Taboo	Don Omar	lambada
Turbo Polka	Atomik Harmonik	polka
Yeah, Usher Remix, Samba/Batucada		samba
Zoomer	Les Jumo	african

(*these songs are Zumba Originals and I don't think you can find them for purchase)