When Zumba Feels Like Lord of the Flies

I thought trying a Zumba class would be a fun way to get moving, burn some calories, and maybe even laugh at myself a little while doing it. What I didn’t expect was to walk into what felt more like a scene from Lord of the Flies or Yellowjackets than a fitness class.

The energy was loud. Tribal, almost. People were yelling, whooping, stomping in unison and instead of feeling energized, I felt a little trapped, like I’d wandered into a ritual I hadn’t signed up for. Add to that the fact that the moves were incredibly complicated, with everyone seemingly knowing the choreography by heart while I was two beats behind, and it quickly became more overwhelming than motivating.

I can absolutely see why people love it (the intensity, the music, the sense of community) but for me, it wasn’t joy. It was chaos. I left feeling more exhausted in spirit than in body, which is not exactly the endorphin rush I was going for.

Sometimes fitness is about finding the thing that clicks. And this one? Definitely not my thing.