Paige Anderson

Jane's Gym  |  Zumba

For Paige Anderson, Zumba has become a way of life.

 

From her lengthy catalog of YouTube tutorials to the weekly classes she hosts at Jane’s Gym in Olive Branch and First Presbyterian Church in Hernando, it’s a wonder that the 35-year-old realtor by day finds time for much else.

 

“When you find something you love, everything else tends to have to work around it,” she says.

Zumba promises a high-energy, cardio-based, full-body workout that incorporates lunges, kicks, squats, twists and turns – perfect for burning that extra, unwanted baby weight. 

 

“You’re gonna sweat and by the end, you’ll probably be pretty sore,” she says.

 

Invented by Colombian dancer Alberto “Beto” Perez, the rhythmic motions of Zumba are typically accompanied by hip hop, latin and pop music and  have spread like wildfire across the United States in recent years.

 

“Zumba is hugely known now,” she says. “There’s obviously a lot of latin influence and flair in the movements, but now we have instructors all the way to Australia”

 

Anderson picked up on Zumba six years ago, shortly after giving birth to her first child.

“I’ve always been a workout buff, always a dancer. So when I found out you could actually work out while dancing as part of a certified class, I took right to it,” she says. 

 

Four months after her first class, Anderson shed the baby weight and became a certified instructor, choreographing dance routines from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to contemporary hits like Bruno Mars’ “Run Away Baby” alongside classes of up to two dozen dancers.

 

“It’s all about letting go and having fun,” Anderson says. “You don’t really worry about people looking at you – you just don’t have time. Everybody else is watching the instructor, concentrating on moving their own feet.”