Blog: “In Zumba you get completely lost in the music"
The EFDS website features a blog post every Friday through the year. The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) website features a blog post every Friday through the year. In 2016 we’re taking a look at an A-Z of accessible sporting and fitness opportunities available to disabled people.
This week it’s Z for Zumba, and Wiltshire-based instructor Sam discusses fitness, enjoyment and teaching dancing.
Sam's blog
I always wanted to dance, even as a youngster, but sadly no dance school would take me as someone who has cerebral palsy which effects my right leg, left hand and my speech. However, I took up swimming and swam up to the point I went to university.
It was as a student when I took time out from any sport or fitness activity, and I only rediscovered the joy of movement seven years later. Then one day I was watching the television – one of the guests was Beto Perez, the founder of Zumba fitness. As I watched I decided then and there that I wanted to try it.
I went with my mother to one of the few classes in my town, and I just loved it. I found it easy to adapt and I could do it to my own speed and level of fitness. If you cannot do a move you don't have to, and as long as you’re moving that is all that matters.
Zumba is a Latin dance-inspired workout using Latin and international music styles. It infuses all the steps from the main Latin dances in to a fitness class.
After a relationship break-up, I started to attend more classes and loved it even more, to the extent that I wanted to teach Zumba and inspire more disabled people to be active.
After training to be a gym instructor through Instructability I went and completed my Zumba basic instructor training. I’ve been teaching now for nearly three years. I love that you get completely lost in the music and you always leave a class feeling really happy. Zumba is known as the party workout, and it certainly is! It will always brighten up your day.
There are many different Zumba classes out there. If you are scared it will be too fast or you cannot keep up, then try a Zumba Gold class. This is slower and where you can learn the steps whilst still having fun and getting a workout at the same time.
I teach Zumba Gold to SEN students and they get so much out of it. Teachers have even reported improvements within the classroom, which is an added bonus.
I am a Zumba addict and it has helped my disability. I have better balance and co-ordination, I fall over less and it has generally made me a lot happier and fitter.
I have seen the benefits of exercise on my disability and to me every disabled person should be active in whatever form they enjoy, to the best of their ability. Find something you enjoy, go along to a session and see if you like it.
