Recent Songs

I hope I'm not leaving out your favorite, but here are songs we've done recently. Enjoy, but don't get sick of them!

Song Title	Artist
Bailando Con Lola	Various Artists
Bomba Camara	Various Artists
Cachondea	Fruko y Sus Tesos
Cause I Said So	Ne-Yo
Enamórate	Grupo Treo
Estamos Calienticos	Zumba Fitness
Feeling Good	Michael Bublé
Fire Burning	Sean Kingston
Funky Monkey	Rio Soundtrack
Good Feeling	Flo Rida
Hey Pachuco!
Its Like This And Like That	Soundchek
Just a Dream
La Dueña del Swing	Los Hermanos Rosario
La Gota Fria	Carlos Vivos
La Temperatura	Zumba Fitness
Ladies' Choice	Zac Efron
Mambo - Rumba Flamenca	Bandoleros
Meniando La Cola - Salsa	Zumba Fitness
Mi Con Con - Latin Hip Hop	Zumba Fitness
Miss Behave	Fay-Ann-Lyons
Na Ponta Do Pe	Zumba Fitness
Peponi
Play That Funky Music	Wild Cherry
Push Back	Square One
Ritmo Caliente	Zumba Fitness
Sacudelo	Willy Chirino
Salsaton	El Rubio Loco
Save the Last Dance for Me	Michael Bublé
Sigue Gozando Con Zumba	Zumba Fitness
Sobreviviré (I Will Survive)	Azucar Moreno
Sol do Sul	Daniela Mercury
Taboo	Don Omar
Trai La Bulla	Zumba Fitness
Zoomer	Les Jumo
Zumba Samba	Karmin Shiff

What exercise does for your brain

I'm not the only one telling ya that exercise benefits much more than your waistline.

Check out this short article from Shape Magazine:

http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/your-brain-exercise

The Rule of Three: Keep those good habits going!

New Year's gives us a new determination to start fresh with our good habits. Keep in mind The Rule of Three: it takes three weeks to establish a good habit. But guess how long it takes to break it? Only three DAYS. Thinking about skipping out on your new schedule? Choose carefully! In just three days you can slow your momentum. A body in motion stays in motion. Keep it up! You're doing great!

Find Your Thing

What's the best form of exercise? You've heard me say this before, "The one you like." You're a bagillion times more likely to stick with it. So I like this video that illustrates that point. I love Zumba®. I also love to run and do some weight training. What's your thing? Whatever it is, stick with it until you find it!

Why is everyone else better at this than me?

Are you new to Zumba®? I want you to know three things:

1) Zumba is designed to be easy to follow and fun. Some songs are easier than others. I try to offer a variety of rhythms, music, and dance styles. This variety is good for your body, too.

2) Everyone else that has been coming regularly knows *most* of the routines pretty well, so each class they only have to learn the one or two new songs that I bring. But at your first class, ALL the songs are new, so give yourself a break if you seem to not be "getting it" like everyone else. When I first came to a Zumba class, I got so lost on one song that I completely stopped moving just to watch the instructor for a minute and try to figure out what was going on. It's okay!

3) Give it at least three chances before you decide you can't do it! You'll be surprised how quickly you get used to the basic steps, you'll get used to the routines, and you're body will adjust to feeling all those new muscles you didn't know you had! And you'll relax enough to recognize how much you are SMILING and having a great time!

What to expect at your first class

My friend Shannon Robinson teaches Zumba in Springville. She posted a great summary of what to expect your first time. She's a smart girl! Thanks, Shannon.

http://springvillezumba.com/what-to-know-your-first-class/

I asked my class members to post comments about what their first Zumba class was like. You might like to read their comments here. http://zumbaspot.blogspot.com/2012/03/zumbaversary.html

Also, check the "FAQs" tab above to see other Frequently Asked Questions.

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)

$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.