I finally got to do my Zumba DVDs!! 😀

The 7-disc Exhilarate DVD set comes with a program guide, complete with tips, stretches and weekly workout plans. Obviously, since 25 minutes on the Kinect kicked my butt, I started with the “Beginner’s Plan”. 😉

This 7-day plan starts you off for the first two days doing the Zumba Step by Step DVD, so you can individually learn the steps. This DVD is really, really cool! It takes you through all the basic steps of the Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, Calypso, Cumbia and Belly Dance. They start by showing you each move at full speed (which makes you want to cry), but then they break it down, starting really slow and with just your feet movements. Then they pick it up and add arms, etc. until you are doing the complete move, full tempo. All of a sudden that really hard move is doable!

But, let’s just say that as much as they make the moves easier and as fun as they are, I am quite certain that I look nothing like the two hotties they have teaching it! Ha!!

One really awesome thing about the DVD is that you can flip between looking at the front view of them, where they’re facing you, or looking at the back of them, so they’re facing the same direction you are and it’s like you’re standing behind them. Day 1 I left it alone, but today I flipped it and found it definitely was easier to follow watching them from behind, because I could mirror their steps more naturally.

At this point, my favorite is the Belly Dance. It feels all super exotic and it uses lots of arms and legs, so I’m sure it’s a big reason for the sore shoulders I now have! The Reggaeton was described as the Hip Hop of Latin Dance and Whoa! It gives me a whole new appreciation for Hip Hop dancers; I think it was easily the hardest of them for me. It’s fast-paced and you really need to get low to the ground – it’s tough!

When the hour was over (both yesterday AND today), I was drenched and I really felt like I had a very thorough workout. But I truly enjoyed it (and loved even more that no one was watching me – this is definitely best left to the living room for someone as uncoordinated as me!) and that is really something to be said for me, someone who doesn’t like exercise! 🙂

Tomorrow is Day 3 and I will start a new DVD (Activate), and I can only imagine what that one is going to do to me, but I’m so excited!  There must be multiple parts to it, because it says to do Activate – “Learn It”! on Days 3 and 5 (Day 4 is rest) and Day 6 is Activate – “Feel It”! Day 7 I will again get to rest. Something tells me I’m going to need it!

Other weekly plans in the program guide include a Super-Sculpting Weekly Plan, a Tight-on-Time Weekly Plan and a 10-Day Accelerated Fat Loss Program. The two weekly plans include 6 days of exercise with 1 day of rest. The 10-Day plan includes no rest at all! O_O!

I know that I’ve only done the Step by Step DVD this far, but after doing it twice, I can honestly say that while the steps were easier today than yesterday, I know I’m going to struggle tomorrow when there is no slow build up of the steps. But I still know it’s going to be fun!! 😀

Oh, and I lost 1 lb last week, the week of being injured and completely sedentary, except for stretching. Interestingly, I used almost NONE of my extra weekly Weight Watchers points, and I lost less than the week before, when used almost every single one! Still, I was happy with the 1 lb – better than gaining 1!

I’m interested to see what the weight loss does after a few consistent weeks of exercising. I fully realize that this week may not be great, since I must be retaining water because of the sore muscles. But I am hoping I’m able to maintain that solid 2 lb average once I’m really into regular exercise. 🙂