Fitness Friday's

So YOU Gal Stacy and I decided that we would try and find new and exciting workouts that would generate steps and report out on it. Well our first venture was at Victory Lady Fitness at their West End location in Richmond, Virginia where we meet 3 new friends all named Brenda. We settled on this location based on the particular class that was being offered. We had just participated in the CBS 6 Healthy Lifestyles Expo and while there I heard someone on the mic sounding like a deejay and it intrigued me so that I walked over. They were moving and grooving and I liked what I saw. Well later that day the instructor came over to our booth and I introduced us and what were doing and inquired about his class and where he taught so he gave me the skinny on where we could find him and alerted me of his next class at Victory Lady Fitness. I got on the horn made the arrangements and notified YOU Gal Stacy and she was game!

So we show up take the tour and take our position in the class. This class filled up quick! There were lines and lines of women ready to get down. So while I’ve been telling folk that I was going to Hip Hop Aerobics the class is actually called Live, Love, Dance with Kemel. We started off just marching in place to the beat and in my mind I’m thinking I could do this at home although I was stepping a bit high because these women weren’t going to show me up. At the end of the song my hips were burning, but that’s a good thing. We move to the next song and boy does it have some choreography. We were moving, grooving and having a good time. During this class we did the electric slide, cupid shuffle and the bus stop just to name a few of the line dances that we did. I was sweating, smiling and having a good time. When the class was over I must admit I was whipped! I started the class with 4243 steps and I ended with 10442 that’s a total of 6199 step in one hour! Whew! Whoever thought that all that dancing would rack up so many steps and that’s with me trying to catch on.

When Toni told me about this class I was so excited. I often say these dance type aerobic classes are as close to partying/ clubbing that we can get to. This class had me working up a sweat, moving, shaking what my momma gave me and having fun. Having fun? That's right Kemel made this class seem like we were at a party! The atmosphere he managed to create was able to take my mind off the fact that my thighs were on fire and legs left felt like 200 pounds each.

What also impressed me about this class beyond the fact that it was not your normal Jane Fonda workout was that the instructor walked around. He was not on stage shouting out movements. Instead he mingles as we grooved, he stood right next to you when you had the steps all wrong (he was by me a few times!!!) and showed you what you needed to do and where you were going wrong. Once you got the moves down off he went to the next person. He certainly left no woman behind and allowed everyone to groove at their own pace.

I highly recommend this class to everyone. I have a bad knee which usually causes discomfort during these type of classes however, I am glad to say it was not an issue. The pain I felt was sadness when the class was over - ok I was a little excited that it was over also.

For those of you in the area looking for a good workout while having a good time check out Live, Love, Dance with Kemel it was a great time.

I’m hoping to get back to Victory Lady Fitness to check out that Walk It Off with Scott.

Until next time! Get to stepping!