The student recreation center has added Zumba under the collection of class offered for the first time. The workout is a new program designed to expose the FAMU campus to multicultural techniques to exercise the entire body.
Martha Leatcou, the certified Zumba instructor on Wednesday, said Zumba is, “a combination of Latin and International Dancing that is good for the mind, body and soul.”
“The different classes offered here at the recreation center are based on student requests through surveys,” Nigel Godfrey, customer and membership services coordinator of the recreation center said.
To make sure the instructors, are providing safe and effective methods of workout, each instructor is required to go through the recreation center’s internship of certification.
“The trainers have to pass a series of tests as well as go through interviews like any other employee,” Godfrey said.
The class takes place in the group exercise room on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 :00- 6:55 p.m. and Wednesdays from 5:00 – 5:55 p.m. The class begins with Leatcou performing, a low intensity warm-up to upbeat songs from the international styles of reggae ton, salsa and mambo. The intensity of the dance movements elevate over the next 30 minutes. After a small water break, the class ends with the instructor incorporating techniques from belly dancing.
“The Zumba workout is good for weight loss, coordination, and you get to work on memory skills by learning the different steps and movements,” Leatcou said.
The class is open to all students, staff and faculty at FAMU.
Lorenzo Howard, 32, an organizational leadership doctoral student from Tallahassee stood out as the only male in the class.
“The instructor does a very good job,” said Howard. “At first I was a little apprehensive because there were a lot of women in the class, but [the workout] is working.”
Symone Everitt-Day, a third year nursing student from Milwaukee, Wisc., took the class for the first time on Wednesday.
“You need to be able to keep up with her dance movements and stay on track with the instructor,” Everitt- Day advised for students interested in taking the class.
The recreation center is located on 2101 Wahnish Way. A towel and Rattler ID card are mandatory to participate in the class.