As many of you know, I have been on a journey to redefine myself. This journey started a year and a half ago when I visited my doctor and weighed in nearly 300 pounds. While I liked the XL in my gamertag, going to XXL just wasn’t something I was looking forward to. That, and let’s face it, being heavy can be a real drag and a blow to your overall self-esteem. So with the help of a wellness program, I have been slowly dropping the pounds.
One activity that really helped me drop a lot of it (and fast, mind you) was Zumba. Zumba is a Latin dance aerobics program that is sweeping the world. Currently there are over 108 countries that do Zumba and there really isn’t any magic to the program; it’s just a heck of a lot of fun. My wife had been bugging me for a long time to give it a try, so on a whim I walked into my first class last May. I was the only guy (of course) and I did a decent job in keeping up with the gals as they danced and sweat their fannies off. The hour was over quicker than I expected and in those final moments I learned something about Zumba and why it was so popular. Instead of getting crap about being the only guy in class, I was cheered and received a ton of support. It was a great boost to my ego and so I started coming to class regularly. Each time, I met amazing and supportive people and I noticed my waistline shrinking. This wasn’t just some fun excuse to go to the gym, the program really works.
I travel for a living, and as such I have the opportunity to take classes from instructors all over the country. Each time, I have experienced the same thing: uplifting and supportive people who are seriously interested in helping me achieve my goals. To my surprise, this September my regular instructor suggested that I think about getting licensed to teach. I laughed at first, but soon realized how such a milestone would be beneficial to me. So with encouragement from my friends, I was licensed to teach in early December and should have my own class this Spring.
So when I learned Kinect had a Zumba Fitness title as part of its launch blitz, I was more than a bit curious. I grabbed a cheap copy off eBay and put it in my 360 to see what it was about. The thing I think we need to keep in mind with this title is it’s not technically a game. Oh sure, it works on a gaming system and there are achievements and such, but don’t expect that you and your buds are just gonna do a couple of Latin dance moves and be done. This is a full workout and you should be prepared for one. Dress comfortably and wear decent shoes (I tried one session in my socks and that’s not good on your knees, my friends).
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So 2010 is almost over. It was kind of a shitty year, right? Oil spills, ugly celebrity divorces, The Last Airbender, the Palins all over our televisions… Ugh…
The Drunken Gamers Radio Christmas Catastrophe. It’s an annual tradition, isn’t it?
