Et in Virgin Active Ego

Firstly I have to say that, having been a dedicated (albeit largely absent) member of Fitness First for about 5 years, walking into Virgin Active was like stepping into some sort of fitness enthusiast’s Arcadian dream. Situated on the top floor of Oxford Street’s Plaza, my NFP (New Favourite Place), and the home of the Latino craze ‘Zumba’ is bright, clean and contains more changing rooms than you can shake a maraca at.

My initial response to starting a new fitness class is always the same – pure dread. I have a very British fear of being rhythmically and flexibly humiliated in front of 20 complete strangers. Nevertheless, from the offset, it was very clear that at Zumba, British priggishness stays at the door...

Farouzan, the class instructor, welcomed us with the fabulous line “Don’t think of this as a fitness class, think of this as a parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty!” And wasn’t it just! The aim of the class is to keep up with her routines which are a mixture of Merengue, Salsa, Mambo, Samba, Bacheta, Reggaeton, Cumbia and hip hop. The music is a fabulously funky Latin mix demanding a “movimiento sensual” and giving you the energy required to push your way through the, at times, challenging routines.

Anyone who has watched Dirty Dancing and got butterflies when Johnny and Baby take to the stage and start their routine to “De todo un poco…”, would love this class. Because of Farouzan’s energy and evident passion for dance, it doesn’t feel like a proper work-out, which is ideal for those who feel bored after about three minutes on the treadmill. The most important thing is to loosen up, shed any prim coyness and throw yourself into it.

By the end of the session, I was completely exhausted & had really built up a sweat and by the next day I had a fabulously satisfying tension in my calve and thigh muscles indicating that, whilst I didn’t feel that I was really pushing for it, Farouzan’s relentless demands for a party obviously work!

Zumba is available at all 72 Virgin Active Health Clubs nationwide.