Yesterday, in my Zumba class, the instructor mentioned how we should wear shoes with less traction to help with the fast-paced dance steps and pivoting turns involved in Zumba. She said it's not required, but it helps prevent knee injuries. She explained that the traction on running shoes grips the floor too much, causing your foot to stay in place when the rest of your body is shimmying around...causing injured knees. I've always worn running shoes to Zumba in the past, and over half the class had running shoes on, so I am not overly concerned. But I did notice that those not wearing running shoes were also the ones who were doing the steps and turns like an old pro. Hmm...maybe the instructor was right.
Not sure if I am going to invest in special Zumba shoes, but I was more mindful of my knees for the remainder of the class. Luckily, no injured knees, but I am so sore. I feel a kind of sore today that I have never experienced with running or yoga. A "good" kind of soreness, like I remember from workouts of yore. My booty and hip flexors have that "day after a hard workout" kind of thing going on, and it feels really good. It's nice to know those muscles are still there, despite the years of neglect. Every time I feel my sore muscles, it is a reminder that I did something good for myself. To quote John Cougar, it hurts so good.
As my instructor issued her "if you wear traction in class, you will end up in traction outside of class" warning (I'm paraphrasing, of course), I couldn't help but think of what a great metaphor all of her "traction" talk was for my current journey.
There are times that life is a dance party and I can shimmy from one day to the next. Other times, I may need some extra traction to make it up the hill. Either way, it's all a part of the journey and I'm proud of myself for taking it. It's the toughest thing I've ever done, but it hurts so good.
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