Zumbabody By Kim

I think this is the perfect Zumba class to attend if you’re not a member of a gym. Since it’s at a church and not a gym, Kim realizes that her students don’t necessarily do workouts other than Zumba, and they probably don’t do weights or strength training. So we do it all. Typically a class is about 40 minutes of actual Zumba, then squats (she LOVES squats), arms (with 1−3lb weights), abs (including plank), and stretching. I love that because while I do cardio several other times per week, I can NOT make myself do strength training on my own, so I absolutely need those squats/​abs/​arms, even if the squats make me die inside a little bit.
It’s $ 8 per class and worth every penny. It’s really fun and fast-​paced, but there’s a lot of repetition so you have plenty of chances to catch up if you don’t figure the moves out at first.
Kim is SUPER nice, and the class is totally un-​intimidating. I have avoided cardio classes in the past because I tend to have problems with exercise authority, but I don’t know, something about her is just so unassuming and you just can’t get mad at her. She pushes you without making you feel worthless if you can’t do it, and has a great sense of humor.
Class is Monday and Thursday from 6:15 — 7:15 at Shady Grove Presbyterian Church (you don’t have to be a member – I’m not). You’ll need water of course, a mat, and 1 – 3 lb weights. She does usually have mats and weights to borrow but there’s not always enough to go around. Class size has varied from 4 people to about 20 people since I’ve been going.
She also has a Saturday morning class that is apparently an hour and a half. It’s located at Cornerstone Church in Bartlett. I would absolutely go to it, but I’m not free on Saturday mornings.