Jazzercise :: Checking Your Stereotypes at the Door

Full disclosure: I’m 37 years old and am in pretty decent shape. I enjoy dancing and often have impromptu solo dance parties in my bedroom. I think that’s why Jazzercise is such a great fit for me. I have been going to Jazzercise Metairie Fitness Center for years and absolutely love it! It is really the only workout that I have stuck with. If I take some time off because life happens, I always come back to it. This is not a sponsored post by the way. It’s just me trying to convince you to give Jazzercise a try regardless of your fitness level.

You do what?

When I mention that I attend Jazzercise class to friends, I am almost always met with looks of confusion and questions like: Are you the youngest person there? Are there are people in class wearing leg warmers? Do the majority of the people there have hip replacements? I’m as confused as they are because Jazzercise is nothing like that. It has not been like that for years. I have nothing against leg warmers or hip replacements at all by the way; it’s just not that type of place. Yes, there are people of all ages who attend, but it is not your mama’s old Jazzercise class.

An evolution of sorts

Jazzercise has definitely evolved from our parent’s generation. They have revamped their image to appeal to the younger crowd, and I think they have done a pretty darn good job of doing just that. The music and choreography are current. You will most likely hear songs by Britney Spears, Ed Sheeran or Bruno Mars in class, and they do throw in old school music from time to time. Each Jazzercise routine is choreographed to music regardless of whether you are doing cardio or weight lifting, and the instructors pick their own play list so each one of them has their own unique style.

In addition to them playing to the music you listen to on the daily, the instructors talk a lot during class about random things, and you find yourself drawn in to the conversation and forget that you are in the midst of doing twenty squats. This distraction is necessary for me because I tend to lose interest really fast when exercising and begin focusing on the clock. Not here. The instructors either distract you or cue you on to the next move. I have never thought, “When will this class ever end?!” I guess that’s why I keep coming back. That, and exercising there is actually enjoyable.

What else to expect

Not all instructors are created equal, but I’m sure there is a perfect one out there for you. Some of them push you harder than others, but you are guaranteed to sweat regardless. If a move is too challenging due to injury or fitness level, the instructor will modify the move for you. Some of the classes even have childcare!! I often leave a class drenched in sweat with an endorphin high. It’s addictive and best of all, there are no mirrors. You won’t have to see yourself make mistakes during the routines. You won’t see your arms jiggle. It’s a judgment free zone. You can just be the perfect dancing goddess (or god) that you know you are.

I highly recommend that you check it out.  If you are interested, there are Jazzercise classes all over the city. You can start here!

Simone
Simone was raised in New Orleans but has lived all over the U.S. She graduated from Newcomb College in 2003 and DePaul University College of Law in 2006. After law school, she moved to Atlanta and then decided to move back to New Orleans to raise her daughter Madison in 2009. She is admitted to practice law in Georgia and Louisiana. Simone serves on the Louisiana State Bar Association’s House of Delegates and is a former member of the Board of Directors for the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity. Simone enjoys planning fun adventures with her daughter, trying new restaurants and dancing with the NOLA Cherry Bombs. She plans on writing about a variety of topics, including raising a biracial daughter in the deep south and co-parenting.

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