Zumba for a cause!

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned in my blog more than once how one of my favorite things  of late happens to be Zumba. I absolutely love it! Not only is it a great workout (I feel it in my abs in a way I never do with other workouts) but it’s fun!!! I don’t really feel like I’m exercising even though I’m pretty sure I’m burning quite a few calories. And I’ve been to some fantastic Zumba instructors who really make it that much more enjoyable.

Yesterday was a combination of two of my favorite things: Zumba for a great cause! I suppose I’m also into doing things for a cause recently, hence the Running with Angels 5K I did a couple weeks ago. In any case, a Zumbathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society was held yesterday. It was an hour and a half long, and it was fantastic!!!

Let me pause for just a minute to tell you about the instructor of this Zumbathon. Her name is Lindsey Taylor and she is the Zumba education specialist for the state of Utah. She’s also been featured in several of the Zumba fitness DVDs. Most recently she was in Pitbull’s brand new music video, “Pause.” Here’s a link to it on YouTube:

“Pause” by Pitbull

She’s the one with dark hair. I didn’t think the song was too exciting when I first listened to it, but we did the dance yesterday during the Zumbathon, and now I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to download it.

Anyway, it was a fantastic experience! An hour and a half of dancing my little heart out. I wondered what, if any, effect the weather might have, but it turned out just fine. Don’t worry, I drank plenty of water so I stayed hydrated. I found out they were able to raise $3,000 from this fundraiser, which was also sponsored by Fashion Place Mall, where it was held outside in the parking lot.

I didn’t bring my camera so I don’t have any pictures to post. But trust me when I say it was really fun! This was also the first time when I did a Zumbathon (it’s my third in the last 6 months or so) where we had an audience. A year ago that would’ve mortified me. Now, I don’t mind knowing people could have been watching. It was just fun to do something I love for such an important cause.

I have one more quick thing to add before I close, a reason why the American Cancer Society is important to me. As of March, my sister is officially a cancer survivor. She was blessed to have one of the most treatable types of cancer, but I know many others who haven’t been so blessed. I have several friends who’ve lost loved ones to it. My heart still goes out to them, and I hope the money raised yesterday helps fund important cancer research.