My roommate Ashlyn and I have begun taking zumba classes at a local studio (which is strategically located above a taco joint) a couple times a week.
Maybe "zumba" isn't the best word, because many of the classes we have been to have involved HIIT (high intensity interval training) and, honestly, have KICKED MY ASS.
There are many stereotypes about Mexicans being short and chubby, which is not actually true. Yes, the majority are relatively short, but I've noticed that Mexican people seem to be built differently than Americans... it's not just that they are shorter, but they are smaller.
However, I've learned that despite the smallness of the many middle-aged Mexican women in my Zumba classes, they pack a LOT of power. Here I am, in "zumba" class, sweating and panting and feeling like giving up, when I notice I am surrounded by several women who are much older (and some heavier) than me, doing all the moves perfectly and with a seemingly unceasing energy. It's inspiring (albeit embarrassing) and I've enjoyed going to class.
I think my favorite part is the owner, a short, bald man named Tony, who, at random moments during class, shouts at us through a microphone to keep going and pushing (I forget the actual Spanish words he uses), while he just stands around, sometimes videotaping the classes to use as promotional footage. He often posts photos of the class teachers when trying to get people to attend, and I know why--at least one of the teachers is a stunningly gorgeous young man with a mustache and tiny shorts. I've never seen as many middle-aged women at a class as I have in his class. And they all pose for a group photo with him afterwards.
I'm glad to have found this class and to have encountered a community of cougarous women whose fitness level shows me up everytime. That was a joke. Mostly. ;)
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