I’ve been a dancer all my life, so naturally, if I can find a way to combine dance with exercise, my name will be immediately on that sign-up sheet. For those of you who don’t really know what Zumba is, it’s a dance fitness class that is inspired by Latin rhythms and steps, and the explosive energy and upbeat music makes for an hour-long party. Zumba offers people of all ages and ability levels the opportunity to come to class and leave everything out on the dance floor, let loose, and have fun while getting in their hour of cardio for the day.

I found Zumba first through dance team camp one summer in junior high. We used the class as a warm up, but after just three songs, I felt like I had run a mile! I never realized how much energy dancing actually takes and how good of an aerobic workout it is. Immediately, I fell in love with the format and took a few classes here and there at my local gym. It wasn’t until something happened in my life that Zumba became what it is to me now.

At the time, I didn’t know I was having an adverse reaction to a medicine I was taking, but in the middle of my 10th-grade year, I had gained about 30 pounds. I wasn’t eating milkshakes and hamburgers every day, and I still exercised the same amount I had been through dancing at my studio, but I kept gaining weight no matter how little I ate or how much I ran. I was so unhappy with myself and the way I looked that when I finally figured out what was wrong with me, I knew I needed to drop pounds and fast. That’s when Zumba became my saving grace.

I’ve always loved dancing, and I figured that the class wouldn’t be too challenging for me, but I was so wrong. It takes a lot of stamina to go full-force in a class, but I never looked at the clock until the end of class when I realized how fast an hour of dancing goes by. I was having so much fun that I didn’t want it to end! On Saturday mornings, I knew that I could drive to the gym and have an hour to myself to release my stress and worry built up during the week. From June to August of that year, I lost 20 of those 30 pounds.

I continued to do Zumba through high school, and when I finally turned 18 last year, I signed up to become a licensed Zumba instructor, and it was the best decision I ever made. I currently teach at my university, and I meet so many amazing and hard-working people each week, and I always get excited when someone new joins my class. I look forward to my job, which not too many of my friends can say, because I get paid to exercise, and it’s actually fun!

Zumba is a great program in that I can really explore what my “style” is and choreograph my own routines that I enjoy doing and that give me a great workout. Zumba makes me feel hot, even when I’m bloated and wish that I could curl up with an oversized sweatshirt, my giant stuffed lion and Netflix. Zumba pushes me to be happier and can flip my day upside down in a matter of minutes. Zumba challenges me to be a better dancer, choreographer, and athlete. Zumba builds my confidence. Zumba found me a discouraged and self-doubting teenager and has transformed me into a confident and sassy young woman who loves to shake her booty and sing Meghan Trainor in front of a class.

No matter if I teach a class of 6 or 60 people, I made a difference in at least one person’s day, minuscule it might be, and that satisfaction means more to me than the money I earn from my job. I love Zumba, and I want other people to love Zumba too!

So, the next time you think you should go to the gym after eating a ridiculous amount at your weekend barbecue, you can keep the party going without having to buy a single drink! Check your local gym for a Zumba class, and “Ditch the workout, join the party!”