Week #30

School is in session :) I truly do love my children and I love hanging out with them but I don't like the fighting and how dirty the house gets when they are home all day so this is a good change!! So one might ask themselves, what are you going to do with your free time? I respond, take sometime for me first so that when they do come home I have already had me time! I love to work out with me so now you might catch me doing extra stuff after I teach classes and hopefully fill up my schedule with training! I hope I can be of service to you!

Soon there will be some schedule changes because of fall coming so I will keep you all posted with what is going on at the Rec Center and Desert Palms. The only change that starts next Tuesday at Desert Palms is the Zumba kids class will be moved back to 4:30pm due to school. Melesa and Cherie teach that class and they do a great job so get your kids involved and teach them a good habit of exercise!

For our next instructor highlight is Cherie Hoopii - (the greatest massage therapist ever!)

Ok stuff about me... Hawaiian/Chinese, Caucasian. Age: Older than everyone else teaching zumba! 2 children-Tei (12yr) & Lahela (6yr). Grad from BYU, Provo where I played volleyball for 4 yrs. Served an LDS mission in Okinawa, Japan. (So did 2 of my brothers so we still speak Japanese.) Masters in accounting from SUU. CPA for almost 20 yrs. Still do personal consulting and tax work. Real Estate licence (why? who knows? ha ha). Run the SDI Massage School (for 5 years) and own Bodyssage for 2 1/2 yrs. Love my Hawaiian culture and have done many, many luaus- cook, sing and dance. Love family, sports, music, travelling, drawing, learning, teaching, trying to stay fit, and pretty much anything that has to do with the body fascinates me. Oooh, and I LOVE Zumba and our Zumba gang!

Cherie is a woman of many talents so make sure you check out one of her classes!

Week #30 Challenge - Chest (who doesn't love a bigger chest)

Ok, I want you to focus on your chest this week. No, we don't want huge pecs like guys do but we need to have a strong foundation so that other muscles can work properly when being worked. So I want you to throw out the idea of girl push-ups, there is no such thing!! I want you to start slow and then gain each day. If you can only do 3 regular push-ups the first day then the next you add 2 more. I want you to build big and achieve big. Please report to me how many you ended up with at the end of the week. If you are sore one day then do a few less but you need to do push-ups every day! Each week we are going to build-up so I want you to start making some good habits. Now is the time to take an hour for yourself to workout. Summer is over and there are no more excuses so lets get our butts in gear and work on our goals!!!

Week #29

So our summer is almost over, crazy! That went by really fast. I love summer but I love school too!! This is the year for me that all my kids are in school all day :)! I am excited to focus on Zumba and Personal training once school starts. I have some fun things that are turning in my brain that I am excited to share with you in the near future!

Ok, who went to National Dance Day at the Washington Walmart? I was there and about 15 others from the Rec and Desert Palms that I know of. I didn't get to see everyone but it was so much fun! It was so awesome to see all the crazy Zumba lovers in Southern Utah. We (instructors) had so much fun that we are going to do it again soon. I was put in charge so I will have my cohort Marti help me out and we are going to bring a fabulous event to Southern Utah for all Zumba lovers that love to give of the heart!! I will keep you posted when the action will start happening.

Items for sale -
DVD's are $15 so pick one up before they are gone
We only have 3 tanks left / small black - medium black - medium gray/ they are $18 and I have them with me so if you go to Marti's class let us now so we can have it there for you!

Instructor Bio -
Tricia Longmore joined us at Desert Palms and the Rec Center over a year ago! We love her and are so happy she is back!!

When I was a kid I loved to dance. I was in many performing groups including: drill team, cheer leading and musical theater. As an adult I found it more difficult to get out and dance. I have always exercised but it was drudgery until I fell in love with Zumba. I joined Kerry's and Marti's Zumba classes over two years ago. I was totally hooked on Zumba from the first day. Kerry encouraged me to get certified and I started teaching in January of 2009 and have been smiling ever since.

One of the things I love most about Zumba is it's always changing. No two classes needs to be the same, each new song adds more fun to the mix with an endless possiblities of songs and zumba moves. I enjoy choreographing my own songs plus learning the songs that other teachers have done. Zumba helps me not only to be more healthy, but also de-stress and escape from reality. I can stop being "mommy" for one whole hour and be Tricia instead. Zumba helped me find myself; I didn't realize I was lost until I found me again.

Zumba has changed my life and I hope it gives others as much joy as it brings to me. Tricia

You can catch Tricia alternating Saturday's and Wednesday's at Desert Palms and the STG Rec Center. She is always willing to sub so you might show up to a class and get a treat with Tricia filling in!

Week #29 Challenge - enjoy your last week off!

This doesn't mean take exercise off but it means if you have kids or Grand kids do something crazy with them! Make your last week of summer memorable. Get out and do fun stuff. Have a fun week filled with exercise, laughter, sunshine, friends and family! Enjoy this week because starting next week our challenges are going to get a little bit harder. I am going to test your physical strength so have a happy week and I love you all!!

Week #28 / NAtional Dance Day

Thank you Marti for emailing out last week and yes she is right, we need to take at lest 10 minutes a day for ourselves so that we can focus on whats important! Thank you for reminding us!

Back in the early months of 2010 I was hand selecting some great girls to teach Zumba along side with Marti and I and I don't think I have paid enough tribute to them for all the hard work they have done at both the Rec Center and Desert Palms. So for the next little while I will be highlighting them so that you can get to now your teachers a little better. Their names are:
Cami
Cherie
Christy
Josie
Melesa
Tricia

I hope you have enjoyed taking their classes!

Week #28 - National Dance Day

Coming up on Saturday the 31sy of July is National Dance day. Zumba is based around dance so one of the great instructors (April and daughters) have put together something really fun for our Southern Utah Zumba family this Saturday night. She has asked a handful of instructors to help her and I have happily accepted (sadly Marti will be out of town) to bring the east and the west together at the Washington Walmart parking lot to have a full on Zumba dance party! Here are the details, there is a dance that you need to learn that is choreographed by Nap and Tabs from So you think you can Dance so we can do it all together. It will be filmed and sent into the TV show. Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKUyp1GMQVg it has step by step instructions! April will be picking the song so just learn the moves and get the feel for it. The Dance off is free to the public!! The time is 9pm -10pm. We are going to have cars parked in a huge circle with all the lights facing in. The radio station will be there and those of us instructors that have merchandise will have it there for your convenience to buy. It is going to be awesome so this is your challenge this week to learn the steps and even if you don't learn the steps come to the Dance off on Saturday! I would really like to have the westside be represented well so come one, come all and join us for one hour full of Zumba craziness!!

Invite for all!!
For: National Dance Day
When: Saturday the 31st
Time: 9pm-10pm
Where: Washington Walmart parking lot

See you there!

Week #26

Did you get your game on? Our numbers were up at the Rec Center and Desert Palms in all the Zumba classes so I am thinkin' you got your game on. Good Job!

So now that our summer is half way over :( we need to start thinking about our schedules and how we are going to get in our Zumba for the week or every day. It is so crucial to stay active during the summer. The afternoons are getting so hot that most people tend to stay inside. You need to make sure you get in your workout in the morning time or evening. We get so caught up in our daily stuff and the hours fly by and we think to ourselves, "Dang it, I missed my exercise today. I will do it tomorrow!" What are the chances that the next day is going to be less busy, not so much! You need to make it top priority so that you can have the positive serge that comes from exercise!

Our DVD's are finally here! Marti and I opened one and watched some and the picture is a little blurry so whether it is the widescreen or the production company, we don't know but because of this we are going to sell them for $15 instead of $20. We don't want to return them again and all that hoopla, but the important thing is you can still watch it and get a great workout. The blurry part is our faces so that is good for us. You can still see all the routines and moves clearly! It was our favorite DVD to make so purchase one and make it a part of your daily routine if you can't make it to a Zumba class! We have them with us at our classes and we take checks or cash. If you are from out of town please reply and we will get one shipped to you.

Week #26 Challenge - Find a Friend!

I want you to find a friend that may be struggling a little with exercise or weight! So many people feel so alone in the workout world and some have no idea where to start. I would like you to bring her or him along to a class and show them that exercise can be really fun and then also tell them your thoughts and feelings about how you have achieved some of your weight loss goals. You have no idea how many people out there need some one to talk to about this. It is a major factor in depression and if we, all together, can help someone see that exercise is a natural way to release endorphins and can help pull you out of depression, then it is worth stepping outside of our comfort zone!

Again, I can't say it enough on how much I love our Zumba family! We have such a widespread group in Southern Utah and it is wonderful to be a part of your lives!

Week #25 / Waka Waka

Yea, me and Marti are back! I love coming back from vacation and going to Zumba. The energy is always so much fun and as much as I want to say I need breaks sometimes I always love coming back and realize how much I love what I do. I heard that the Twilight Zumba Party was so much fun and I am sad that I could not be there but I needed to send off my sister and that was sad enough so it is a good thing I got to Zumba that next day!

Ok, now that June is gone and that was fast, it is time to get back into gear! I was so busy in June that I could barely think but now my brain has slowed down so prepare for new routines. I hope to come up with a couple new ones each week because August is around the corner and that means school time and back to busy schedules. I love coming up with my own routines and I love taking them from YouTube so if any of you have any suggestions on music, moves, or ones that you have seen on YouTube please let me know!!

Sadly our DVD's came in and I was hoping to have them in mine and Marti's hands last Monday but the order was wrong so I had to send them back and we are now waiting again for them to come in again. I really hope this time they will be here by the first of next week. Plan on bringing your checks or cash starting next week and we will have them at one of our classes. The DVD will be great for any of you that travel during the summer. It has all our fun new routines on it and a couple of our fun old ones. The price for the DVD is $20.

We still have tank tops left so if you want one please pick it up before they are gone! The tanks are $18.

Week #25 Challenge - get your game on!

I know how much you all love Zumba so let's get our game on! You can burn up to 800 calories a class if you do it with all your heart and soul. I know at times that you are trying to get the new moves down but we need to step it up so that you can see results! I want you to get in as much Zumba as you can this next week. That being said, I will be teaching tonight's 8:30pm class at Desert Palms and Marti will be teaching both classes on Saturday. Remember you do not need to be a member to join at Desert Palms so come one come all and tare up the floor with us this week at both places!

Week #24

Hello,

It is still Wednesday but I only have 1 1/2 hours left to get this to you before Thursday comes. I didn't forget about you but time flies when you are having tons of fun with family. My sis has been here for 3 weeks from Mississippi and I have been loving every minute of it. I have filled her with lots of Zumba and have re lit the fire under her to start instructing again back home. Zumba does wonders for your soul and I love it. It is cheap therapy so make sure when you are feeling down or having a crappy day then please come join me or Marti at one of our Zumba classes and let us uplift you through music. There is no better way in my book then to embrace the Zumba love and bring out the inner self confidence that is in all of us!

Zumba around town - there is a Club Zumba Night at the Washington Rec Center on Friday at 6:30-8:30pm. The cost is $2 for members and $5 for non-members. It is a Twilight themed dance party and there will be door prizes so get your Vampire on and go Zumba with April!!

Our vol. 3 DVD is in the making!! I hope to have them back next week sometime. We will keep you posted on the exact day that we will have them in our bags to sale at our classes. The DVD is great to have. It gives you a full work out if you can't make it to a live class or it helps you gain the confidence that so many think they need to have to come to a Zumba class. Remember you are loved o matter what but if you need that extra boost you will want to purchase one and it will help you learn some of the routines that we do in our classes.

I love fruit so I hope you loved it too this last week. Keep up the good habit of eating some fruit everyday because it is very good for you and a very good way to get natural sugar in your body instead of the processed sugar that is not good for you. So for the next two weeks (I will be at girls camp next week so I can't email out) here is your challenge.

Week #24 Challenge - Reading, a 2 week challenge!

One other thing I love to do is read. I find so much joy in reading good books. I want you to go find yourself a good self help book or article that will help uplift you on the inside. We all need help and sometimes we don't even know why we have inner struggles but we need to find out ways to release them so that our inner beauty shows more. We all have so much to give in the world and if we are struggling from the inside out then we need to find out why and then start to fix them. Self help books and articles are awesome ways to help you out. The book stores have so many or ask a friend because everyone you would be surprised that a lot of people have already read some good books so ask around! Like I said, I won't be here next week so you have 2 weeks before you will hear from me so challenge yourself to do this, it will help!!

I love my Zumba girls so I hope you have a wonderful 2 weeks and I will see you soon!

Week #23

Welcome back to myself and did you girls have a nice break from me? I soaked up some good sun last week and now I am back into the swing of things. Please forgive me but after taking time off it takes my brain a few times to get all the routines back into my head so apologies to the last couple classes I have taught for I messed up more then I would have normally! I hope you are all taking advantage of the Wednesday night class at Desert Palms. We are excited that we can give you three nights a week of party Zumba action! The lights are finally all up and going so you can now see the instructor after the hour of 9pm although that spot light is a killer! It throws off a lot of heat so apologies to the front row ladies who may on a occasion get some sweat flying from the stage, but hey that is why we love Zumba right, sweat-fun-dancing!!

Our volume 3 DVD has been finished in the editing department! I will be sending it to production early next week and so by the 1st of July sometime they will be here and ready to sale. Again, like last time we had tons of fun filming this for you. We laugh and have a great time! Marti and I watched the outtakes and laughed until our stomachs hurt but my daughter watched them and didn't laugh at all. So I guess Marti and I think we are more hilarious then my 12 year old but hey what do they know at this age and I guess we understand the circumstances more. Anyway, I will keep you posted on the exact date that we will have them in hand to sale.

So I hope you picked your favorite challenge to do last week and if not then you had a break like me and that is always ok in my book, sometimes! It's time to get back on track so here is your next challenge.

Week #23 - Fruit, yummy fruit!

In the summertime we tend not to eat as much due to the temperature outside which can a be a good thing sometimes. I want you to pick up your fruit intake for a week. Now there is fruit that is better for you and some that you want to limit yourself on. Here is a list of lots of and not so much -

Lots of
any kind of berry
watermelon (squeeze a little lime juice on it and it makes it delicious)
citrus
peaches
nectarines
mango


Not so much
bananas
apples
grapes
pineapple

Have at least 2-3 servings a day! Summertime is the best time to enjoy the sweet taste of fruit and it always feels light in your stomach!

Alright, ladies that is it for this week so enjoy yourselves, feel good about yourselves and love yourselves for who you are!! Peace, Love, Zumba!!