We took a Zumba class with our new friends

    When you think of things to stay healthy you may think of sports, eating healthy, and going for walks, but when people get older many can’t always do things like running around a soccer field. So how do you stay healthy and active? One answer is Zumba. For Kidsday, our entire class from Udall Road Middle School went to Jefferson’s Ferry a Life Plan Community in South Setauket, a senior center, and took a Zumba class with them. Zumba is an aerobic fitness program done to dance music. So old or young, Zumba is a workout that combines memory and skill.

Our instructor was Lynda Schoettl and she was amazing. She made it fun for the seniors and the Kidsday reporters. She taught us a lot of dance moves and before every song, we practiced the moves first. Allison was a big fan of the cha-cha and the mamba dance moves. Lynda was great on the stage leading us.  

We danced to many different songs. Two songs that really got us moving were “Havana” by Camila Cabello and “Hula Hoop” by Omi. Those songs were very energetic and also fun and happy songs.

The seniors were so nice. After we finished our 45-minute workout we all hung out together cooling down and talking to everyone. They asked us a lot of questions, such as where did we grow up, where did we go to school and how are we doing in school. It’s funny, we had a lot of same questions and it was great to find out a lot about their lives. As much fun as the Zumba class was, the conversations with the seniors were just as enjoyable.

We all agreed if we were ever offered the chance to do this again, we would in a second! To work out with these amazing and fun seniors was unforgettable. We hope they liked working out with us, too. If your class is near a senior center or village, make it a class trip to visit these wonderful people.