Facing Fears: Dance Class

 The great thing about this pandemic is it forces you to try new things and face a few of your fears.

This morning, I faced a big one of mine: Dance Class. 

I am not a dancer. Never have been. Never will be. With enough drink inside me I'll get up on a dance floor at a wedding with lots of other inebriated people, and of course, I dance around the kitchen when I'm on my own, because that's fun. For me, dancing always conjures images of primary school humiliations and sitting on the sidelines at high school dances - times which have traumatised me for life. 

As for dance classes. Other than signing up for belly dancing classes years ago and lasting two classes before I threw my back out, that's been it. 

As a rule, I don't dance in public. 

But, as with all things COVID, you need to get a bit creative, and as my time is on the slim side, I'm wanting to get more exercise in. Through lockdown I've joined an online studio, Move Culture. Lifern, our Pump instructor put us on to this during the big lockdown, where Ann-Marie and the occasional guest provide dance, strength, zumba, HIIT and stretch classes most days. For $15 a week you can join in as many classes as you want. And they're great. Nice people, great classes at decent times. When you don't have a gym, it's a great alternative. 

I've been going along to the stretch classes regularly. But after having a week where I haven't been able to get out due to the weather, and working long hours, I was in need of a bit more. So, today, I did something called BodyJam. It's basically hip hop dancing as a form of exercise. 

I'm the first to admit , I've got no rhythm or soul when it comes to dancing, but when it comes to exercise, I'll give anything a try - and I need the exercise badly.

This morning, I got dressed. I made sure one of my industrial strength sports bras was strapped on my chest, and I fired up the lap top for class. 

The great thing about working out in your living room is that there are no mirrors. I have the class on Speaker View on zoom, so all I have to watch in Annie doing her moves, therefore not having to watch my fridge like form try to lock and pop, scoop and all the other things that they do in this class. 

On the great side of things, the moves come in iterative blocks, so you can get the hang of what they want you to do, then the routine grows until you get it all down. You're also welcome to do lower impact moves when needed, so my current gammy knee can do all this with ease, taking out the jumps and putting in a step. I'm also a 53-year-old woman. I don't jump (or do burpees... nope) With a warm up and cool down, we were dancing for an hour. 

Strangely, I really enjoyed all of this, more for the fact I was moving and getting my heart beating faster and nobody could really see me. Annie, bless her, is always really encouraging through the class - another great thing about these online sessions.

I came out of the session having burned 400 calories, rather sweaty and with a smile on my face. 

Annie, bless her again, said I was all over it. I think she's just being nice. 

But will the dancing fridge go back to BodyJam again?

Yes. 

Especially while I don't have downstairs neighbours who can hear me stomping around my lounge room. 

Tomorrow's challenge is to see if I can get out of bed to try Zumba, which is on before stretch. We will see. 

Today's song: