Fitness in Retford: Dance, shake and sing for a better bod !

Merging fitness and fun, dance-focussed workouts is a craze that has really taken the Retford area by storm! So if you want to shimmy and shake your way to a better bod without leaving town, here's a few ways to help you 'step to' a fitter you in 2012...

It seems everyone I speak to is running off to aerobics, zumba or similar activities spurred on by a desire to get in shape for the year ahead. Has the Olympic fever given us extra inspiration to get more active? - Or are we simply keen to give fitness a shot as per age-old January tradition? I don't know, but whatever the reason, it's great to hear of so many Retford people getting fit and active at gyms and on dancefloors around the district. Foot-loose and fancy-free, no-one's keeping scores on this one...the main focus is Fun! Greater energy and slimmer waistlines are just two of the side-effects - it's amazing what an hour or two's nifty footwork can do! There's a high chance you'll leave feeling happy and with a big fat grin on your face.

Zumba in particular seems to be the current trend and there are several classes to choose from in the locality. 

Just three I know of are Monday evening at Edwinstowe, Tuesday evening at Sturton Le Steeple and Wednesday evening at Dunham on Trent. I think there's also classes at Carr Hill Primary School and Retford Leisure Centre (any others anyone knows about, please post them on the site so everyone can join in!!). 

 It's all the rage and looks like a craze that will stay...and definitely worth giving it a try if you want to have fun, as well as get fit, because it's such a laugh you kind of forget you're working out.  Not to say you don't feel it in your hot and sweaty muscles after class, but, you'll also be feeling a great mental high that makes you NOT want to come home and scoff jaffa cakes. Wow, this dance stuff is good!

 

For those of you who are already zumba fans there's a 'zumbathon' taking place in Gainsborough on Saturday, Jan 28th (see more details at http://www.bmycharity.com/PatFitzgerald) - promises to be a great way to get your body moving, AND it's for a charitable cause (Help For Heroes).

If you're not fancying the sound of zumba but you like the approach of fancy footwork on the path to a fitter you Line-dancing is another option to consider. 

 It was really popular in Retford in the late '90's-early 2000s but then seemed to dry up a bit, perhaps with more people opting for the ballroom classes and, in particular, salsa classes, that sprung up in and around Retford as TV's Strictly Come Dancing and the like became vogue. 

But, there's a new class for 'absolute beginner' line-dancers starting next week - at Babworth Sports and Social Club - and costs just £2.95 a go. So if you're favourite tunes are those of a 'country' flavour (sing along, if you like!) and you're attracted to the group setting / social side of getting fit - as with Zumba, this can really help get you in the mood and motivate you to keep going - then what are you waiting for?? Pull on yer boots, don your cowboy hat and 'kick-start' 2012's fitness regime at the new class, 6.15pm next Thursday. Remember you're bound to make new friends and have fun in the process of shedding those unwanted pounds.

 For any young fitness fans with rhythm in their bones Retford's Club Energy offers street-dancing for the kids while paretns work out in the gym, so the whole family's catered for; find out more about what the venue offers here. 

 There's actually a few great gyms in and around Retford and you can find just a selection here. 

 And eager little dancers with big dreams could do a lot worse than starting at a good, well-respected local class. One option is De Burnays School of Dance, which has aided the development of many a rising star, but look around at others too to make sure you find a class they are going to love enough to stick to throughout the year.

Of course, dancing, twisting, turning and stomping about is not for everyone....perhaps you're looking for a smoother, gentler way of getting fit, or would prefer to workout alone? 

 You'd be hard pushed to find better exercise than swimming or running as they can both really get your heart racing. Walking and cycling are other great options to consider (and with the likes of Clumber Park, Sherwood Forest, Chesterfield Canal and River Trent on our doorstep there is plenty of landscape to enjoy it) and you could do any of these either on your own or with others. 

 What's great is by exercising individually you can set the pace yourself to achieve your own targets, without feeling like you need to 'keep up' with the rest of the group (or, as your levels improve, feeling like you're being held back and desperate to progress to greater challenges).

I think it is really about discovering the kind of person you are and what you like doing, and taking that as the inspiration for your ideal way to get fitter. If you enjoy the outdoors this is probably a good place to start? 

Sometimes, you'll expect to really love a certain activity and then find it is just not for you, or vice versa (try something out first, before investing in expensive equipment).

 Eager swimmers and cyclists would probably cover more miles in an hour than it would take me a full day to run...even though I really fancy the idea of running, and keep promising i'll give it another go, as a music lover it seems to be the music and movement of dancing that motivate me to keep on. So it's all about finding the activity and regime that is right for you and inspires you enough to stick at it.

Whatever works for you, I hope you stick with your workouts and achieve all you set out to accomplish in 2012! - and most of all, enjoy it!