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)

$25 for free. No kidding.

This Saturday is "Small Business Saturday" sponsored by American Express. If you preregister your American Express card with them at the following link, you can get a $25 credit on your next statement IF you shop at a small business this Saturday. 

https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday?sk=app_183558821725512

Yes, that's right, you get to spend $25 on whatever you want at a small business and then they give that money right back to you. I did it last year, so I can vouch for it being legitimate. They have many underwriters that provide the funding. 

Don't forget, you MUST preregister at the link above, and then shop THIS SATURDAY at a small business. Also at the link above you can search for small businesses in your area. 

Hmmm, $25 is the same as the price as a Zumba Gold session in January and February. Wish I could have you buy the pass for free from me, but I'm not set up to take American Express. But maybe with the money you save...

Zumba Gold is designed for seniors. It would be a great gift for someone you may know that would love Zumba but needs a more gentle way to exercise. Click here for more information about my Zumba Gold classes.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gratitude is pivotal

You know, we all have those people we love to hate. They seem to have everything: money, looks, fame, a great job (or no need for one!), etc. But there are also people we know who have all, or most of those things, and they are different somehow. What is the difference? Gratitude!

If a person has all those things, but speaks of them ungraciously, we feel irritated because WE would be so glad to have them. The gift seems wasted on them. If a person is humble and grateful for their gifts, we see that person as more REAL and more HUMAN and we can relate to them. So we just LIKE them.

So what kind of person are YOU? Look closely at what you have. Be grateful and let others know it. They will be so happy to be able to relate to you.

All creatures enjoy the power and energy of dance. I enjoy this same thrill in our classes together.



Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Good Advice for any age!

These are good tips for keeping you feeling happy, especially during these next few months when we tend to let the stress build up!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Soda drinks: this will change your thinking!

I know it's gross, but sometimes we need a JOLT to the brain to help us kick a bad habit.

October is for Scary Things: Conquer something new!

We all want validation that we are good at something, so we naturally gravitate to those things where we receive positive feedback. But the real champions of character are those that will break out of their comfort zone and do that which is difficult for them. What is difficult for you? Conquer it! 
Yes, it may be scary! You can do it!

FREE Ladies Night at the Orem Rec

Another night just for Ladies at the Orem Rec! FREE! 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Yoga, Tai Chi, Spin, Weight Training, and of course, ZUMBA for 90 minutes! You can invite all your friends to come because it's FREE. (Ages 16+ only)

If you want some snazzy ZumbaWear to look great for this night, click on the "SHOP" tab above to see what I've got. See you there!

Escape

Ever feel like you need to get away from it all?

We don’t often escape anything anymore. Cell phones go with us everywhere. Email is on our phones. DVDs are in our car. Our kids can text us their gripes. Our stresses follow us everywhere we go!

Escape it all. Go to gym for an hour. 

It’s good to change clothes, leave the phone in your gym bag, walk into the fun music, and ESCAPE for a while. Lose yourself in the music. Channel that stress into energy and reinvigorate for the rest of your life when you CAN’T escape. 

Come on in, the music and energy feels great!

Consistency in exercise is most important

I went to a Senior Health Fair last week where I talked with about 200 senior citizens about my Zumba® Gold classes. I could tell almost right away which ones exercised on a regular basis and which ones didn't. I verified my hunches with questions and I was always right. My observations were based on their posture, the brightness of their face and even the way they spoke. Those who exercised regularly smiled more, moved with greater confidence, and had a certain strength to the sound of their voice. It was a huge testament to me of the importance of exercise throughout life--and that exercise is not just about losing or maintaining weight. It adds quality to your life!

I recently read a statement that said the consistency of your workouts is more important than the intensity. (Wish I could find it again).

This means a couple of things to me. Like I've said before, you should focus on ENJOYING Zumba class®, rather than focus on doing the moves "correctly" or trying too hard to burn lots of calories. Enjoy it and you'll come again. Consistency will happen.

Also, if you aren't quite feeling up to the workout on a particular day, it is better to come and give it a light effort rather than no effort at all [but if you're sick, rest].

What is the best exercise? The one you LIKE! And it can be different everyday. Try something new. Pilates, running, Yoga, Boot Camp, swimming, Spin, Tai Chi, Zumba®, basketball, weight training.