Back on the horse!

I was very lucky to grow up in a small village in Switzerland.  There was a church, a shop, a post office, a primary- and a secondary school and of course one crazy Lady who kept a large number of animals.

Being the offspring of two working parents and an aversion to sports, the only way I could satisfy my mother's never ending request to go outside "and play" (as if outside were fun!) was by offering that local legend to help with her pony.  

In return for the cleaning and walking and dog-poo-up-picking, she would allow me to every now and again sit on the pony whilst she led it on a lead.

I knew then that the only sport I could ever enjoy would be one where someone else did all the heavy lifting, so that I could enjoy the view from up high.  I LOVED it.

Unfortunately, in terms of easy access, affordability and convenience, horse riding isn't exactly fighting for the top spot.  That doesn't mean that a girl can't dream - and a dream is all it has been for the past 25 years.

But one cloud-heavy morning Amy agreed to go on a horse-back trek with me.  A quick phone-call confirmed that all would go ahead as planned, and that the drizzle wouldn't stop the horses from carrying us through the beautiful wild meadows of the flat Suffolk country side. Upon arriving at the stables however, it was clear that the flooding rain-waters had other plans...

The Manager suggested that we might be more comfortable riding in the hall, and seen as we had come all this way (and he reduced the price for the session), we couldn't see the harm in agreeing to that.

Little did we know that all the children running around in helmets weren't just there for decoration, but were actually preparing to start a riding lesson.  In the hall.  That's right, when he said "ride in the hall", he meant "join the kids' riding lesson." What could possibly go wrong.

Within minutes we found ourselves trying to climb the gigantic horses whilst the infants gracefully floated up on to ponies that matched their breeches.  A stern looking pre-teen pointed out that my way of holding the reigns was not in line with the correct technique, and that my toes should really "point to the sky".  

Whilst allowing my horse to follow the one in front around the circle, I tried to maintain a semblance of dignity when coming within sight of the proud parents filming their offspring - a quarter of my age, but allowed to ride independently whereas I had to be guided by a kid.

Instructions of "keep your back straight / shorten the reigns / angle your knees / don't allow him to cut corners" kept raining down on us, and I tried my best to keep up.  But when the horse fell into a slow-motion trot, all my attempts at technique made way to desperately hanging on to "Oscar", the bumpy giant.

The only time I felt confident was when I was instructed to come off the horses, as I thought I would have gravity on my side.  I'll remember next time that thigh muscles have their own way in getting you back when you overwork them for an hour...

Is this a sport worth taking up?  Here is what I think:

1. compared to the other sports I've tried so far, it's definitely the most expensive and least convenient with regards to accessibility.

2.  If you are looking to see a visible improvement in your levels of fitness within a short time, I don't think you'd get that from riding - although I do know that experienced, regular riders tend to have good core strength and leg muscles.

3. Whilst we did not need to buy any equipment but borrowed hats from the stables, I would imagine that regular riders would prefer to own their own which would be a considerable additional cost.

4. Depending on what you are looking for, it is a fun activity and I enjoyed being on a horse just as much as I remembered from my childhood.  So if you've never ridden a horse and cost is not an issue, booking a trek would definitely be a lovely way of spending a sunny Saturday. If you are looking to learn how to ride in a technically strong way, I'd suggest booking a private lesson.  Or pretend you're 7, if you can get away with it.

"No wrong moves - just accidental solos"

Whilst trying to figure out a way to capture in words the lack of coordination between my brain, arms, feet any anyone else in the room I experienced when trying out Zumba, I stumbled upon the above quote.  It made me chuckle - and confirmed yet again that I am probably not the only one to feel like that when trying out a new activity.

I was delighted to receive an invitation from Alison to join her for the weekly Zumba class held in her church.  I knew that I had built up a wall of anxiety around Zumba following an experience about 6 years ago, when I attended a class with a friend and had to sit out for 3 songs because song 1 absolutely took my breath away.  Not in a romantic way. I can't recall how it ended, but I think I may have left early. 

Ever since I'd feel a pinch of envy when I hear other people talk warmly about the classes that look soooo much fun, but that are clearly just too much for an unfitty like me. But as promised in my initial post (here), lack of fitness cannot stop me. Not anymore!

Before we fully entered the room, Alison and her mum (I know!  What a legend!) were greeted with warm hugs by the instructor, Dorina.  It was clear from the atmosphere and the chatter that most people had not only been before, but knew each other well and were happy to catch up with one another.

We found a little space at the back, far enough from the instructor to hide my many faux-passes:  It's totally NOTHING to do with me not knowing my left from my right - it's just I couldn't quite see her.

After a brief warm-up I was very excited to hear the Latino rhythms come on...I don't know what it is about that particular beat that just seems to make me want to dance.  And clearly I'm not the only one infected with that particular bug:  The Bangladeshi Ladies in their Kurtas were jumping to the beat along with the Filipino Ladies in shorts and T-Shirts.  A young Sudanese woman removed her head-scarf in preparation for some hp wriggling, whilst young girls took off their "Leavers" hoodies to reveal fitted tank tops.  The class was strictly women only, to ensure that everyone was comfortable to move, no matter what their cultural or religious background.  

And move we did!

 Everyone from 12 to 73 wriggled and twerked to the Spanish declarations of eternal love booming from the speakers, encouraged to keep going by clapping, whopping and flashing lights.

Still sore from the squatting and planking from the HIIT Session 2 days previous, I had to work as hard at suppressing pained groans as I had to keep up with the routines.  But the almost palpable sense of fun that was had by all, the laughter of those who bumped into each other when going in the wrong the direction, and the fact that I felt so welcome among like minded people gave this experience a real party-feel.

I could hardly believe my luck when the Instructor announced that we were coming to the warm down part of the session before I had chance to collapse.  Expecting a Pilates like laying on the floor and relaxing my mind, I was swiftly brought back to reality:  After quick lesson on the pitfalls of letting your knees go beyond your feet and the potential damage an arched back can do, we started with - you guessed it - squats.

So is Zumba a sport for the unsporty?  Here is my verdict:

1. From what I can see, it is available pretty much anywhere in the country; I'm fairly confident that there's a convenient location near you.

2. No special attire is required - as long as you can move comfortably & not worry if you get sweaty, it's perfect.

3. You most definitely need comfortable shoes & a big bottle of water.

4. The atmosphere was incredibly friendly - I wish I had asked the name of the Lady in front of me, seen as we spent most of our time giggling and apologising for bumping into each other.

5.  The class I attended was free of charge, but looking at alternatives further afield I found that most classes are very affordable.

6. As with other classes, the instructor shows different difficulty levels for each move, allowing you to do as little or as much as you feel comfortable with.

7. Similar to Clubbercise, the lights are kept low and everyone is focused towards the front of the room.  No-one can see if you have a little sit down and breathing break.

8. I have only attended one class, but I left under the impression that Zumba-ists form part of a tight-knit community - this seems to be the perfect class to meet people in your area and make new friends. And to hang out with old ones, ey, Alison!

(Next time, maybe we could just meet up for a sweat free coffee?)

Thank you Dorina for the photo - showcasing my beloved squats!