Introducing “Move it or Lose It”: A Rockland Fitness Guide- Zumba Fun!

The number one New Year’s Resolution across the country is exercising, according to YouGov. As a 22 year old who hasn’t routinely exercised since high school, the gym is quite a daunting facility. Intimidating machines, posing meatheads, and no clear instruction makes a place designed for self improvement feel more like an ego-fed free-for-all.

Like the many other Americans polled, my New Year’s Resolution for 2026 is to exercise. After a couple failed and embarrassing attempts at the gym, I realised that exercise exists much further than this microcosm of machinery. In high school, I loved to participate in sports, no matter my lack of skill, because exercise itself felt more like play.

Hence, the idea of this column was born: “Move it or Lose it”. My goal is to try various and potentially unconventional exercises and share my experiences. Whether you’re like me, looking for a different environment to be active, or you’re missing your ability to move more freely, my hope is to bring awareness and inspire resolutions to reality.

Keep in mind, I’m no former college athlete. In fact, I walked my mile in high school. I am, however, able bodied and determined to stick to my resolutions. For reference, I played tennis in high school and college recreationally and have tried most every sport in the book as a child.

This led me to 24 Hour Fitness in Nanuet last Tuesday, where I stumbled into a Zumba class at 7:00 p.m. Zumba is dance focused workout involving cardio typically featuring Latin-style music. Overall the experience was a funky blast. The class was predominantly women of all ages and body types, and the instructor, Melissa Tarantino, was upbeat and her neon workout wear easily differentiated her from my classmates. The moves were not terribly difficult to follow, and no else really cares if you don’t do it perfectly.  It’s also great because you can follow along at your own pace.

I equate the experience to an in person Just Dance, the wildly popular dance centered Wii Game featuring top hits  from the early 2000’s. The difficulty of the class for me was a 6/10, but the experience itself was an 8/10. I went with a friend, which I believe made the experience more enjoyable, but you could certainly go alone. The class was very beginner friendly. I recommend showing up ten minutes early to guarantee a good spot. I was in the back and still able to follow along easily though.

With women of all ages in one space dancing and cheering each other on, it’s hard not to feel part of a celebration of womanhood. At one point, the instructor even passed out colorful scarves which made the experience even more fun and exciting. Every single person left the class with a smile plastered across their faces. This was  definitely something that was outside of my comfort zone, but I’m so glad I went in with an open mind. There were even some obvious regulars who stood front and center and perfectly mirrored the instructor, which in itself is a testament to the workouts popularity. There were probably about 50 attendees in the room.

If you’re looking for a different way to stay active, I would definitely say give Zumba a try. Leave your ego at the door and don’t be afraid to look silly. I will definitely be returning, thank you 24 Hour Fitness for the lovely, groovy experience.

  move it or lose it, rockland fitness guide, zumba