Christmas Gifts for Zumba Lovers
Do you have a Zumba lover in your life? Want to give them a Christmas gift they’re going to love? Here are some Christmas gift ideas from a Zumba lover for Zumba lovers:
Zumba Wear
Some people wear their everyday gym clothes to Zumba, but Zumba wear is different than gym clothes. It’s a cross between street wear and dance wear. Zumba wear is available from the Zumba online shop and will cost you anywhere from $14.95 for a pair of Zumba flip flops to $94.95 for a pair of Zumba athletic dance shoes. A safe bet for any Zumba lover is a top to wear to class. A Zumba wear top will cost you anywhere form $14.95 to $39.95 + shipping. Shop now if you want it to arrive by Christmas!
Zumba DVDs
The gift that keeps on giving – a Zumba class right in your very own home! There are two authetic Zumba DVD sets available: the Total Body Transformation System (as seen on TV) or the Zumba Exhilarate DVD Experience. There is even a set of Zumba DVD’s for children called Zumbatomic. The DVD sets are expensive ($89.95 for Exhilarate on Zumba.com, $49.95 for TBTS on Amazon.com), but contain five DVDs including a live workout and choreography to tone the arms, abs, buns, and thighs. Shop for DVDs on Zumba.com or Amazon.com.
Zumba Video Game
I was lucky enough to participate in the Best Buy release of the original Zumba Fitness video game for Kinect on the XBox 360 at the Mall of America, in Bloomington, Minnesota last year and let me tell you, it is amazing! The Zumba Fitness video game is available for Wii and Playstation and WILL give you a workout. This year, the Zumba Fitness 2 video game is also available for Wii. Shop for DVDs on Zumba.com or Amazon.com.
Here are some other ideas for Zumba lovers:
- Dance lessons – Maybe they’re ready to start salsa dancing???
- Exercise clothes – Bright, neon colors are popular in Zumba classes. Popular exercise clothing brands in my classes: lululemon athletica, lucy, C9 from Champion available at Target, Victoria’s Secret PINK (yes, Victoria’s Secret), Old Navy
- Hip Scarf – Belly dance and Bollywood songs in Zumba have inspired some Zumba lovers to wear colorful hip scarves during class.
Zumba lovers, do you have any other suggestions?
Filed under Zumba, holiday | Tags: 360, amazon, amazon.com, athletic, Best Buy, c9, champion, Christmas, clothes, coin belt, coin scarf, Dance, dvd, dvds, exercise, Exhilarate, flip flops, flipflops, gift, hip scarf, ideas, Kinect, lessons, love, lover, lucy, lululemon athletica, Mall of America, Minnesota, MOA, old navy, online, pink, Playstation, salsa, shoes, shop, skirt, target, Top, Total Body Transformation System, tv, victoria's secret, Video Game, wear, Wii, XBox, Zumba, zumba clothes, zumba dvds, Zumba.com | Comment (0)I Found a Pocket in C9 by Champion Exercise Pants From Target
Everyone knows pockets in exercise clothing are essential.
Pockets are an especially important feature of running shorts or tights. For running indoors on a track or treadmill, I need a pocket for my car or locker key and gym ID. For running outdoors, I need a pocket for my house key and ID.
If you have money to burn, Lululemon Athletica has by far the best exercise wear. Just be prepared to spend between $50-100 for a pair of running tights with a couple of cleverly hidden pockets.
You can imagine my surprise when I found a hidden pocket in the waistband of my C9 by Champion running tights that I bought for $25 from Target! The mesh pocket is sewn into the waistband of the running tights at the middle of the back. It was so well hidden, it took me months to discover it by accident! It is the perfect size for an ID and keys. You could even fit a smart phone in the hidden mesh pocket, but the lower back can be a terribly sweaty place to keep your phone during a workout…
Next time you are shopping for exercise clothing at Target, make sure you check the waistband for hidden pockets.
Packing for Ragnar
It’s that time of year again. Today, I’m packing and shopping for my 4th Great River Ragnar Relay. I always over pack, but if you’re wondering what to bring, here’s my list of what to pack for a Ragnar Relay:
Clothes: Pack your favorite running clothes, but don’t over pack. You also get a very nice shirt from Ragnar in your race goodie bag.
1 or 2 Pairs – Running Shoes
3 – Running Tights or Shorts
3 – Running Tops
3 – Running Socks
4 – Comfortable Underwear
4 – Sports Bras
1 – Long Sleeve T-shirt
1 – Light Jacket or Sweatshirt
1 – Comfortable Shoes or Sandals
1 – Comfortable Top
1 – Comfortable Pants or Shorts
1 – Baseball or Running Cap
1 – Swimsuit
1 – Towel
1 – Gym Towel
1 – Wet/Dry Bag (or garbage bag)
1 – Reflective Vest
2 – LED Lights (or these might be built into your reflective vest)
1 – Headlamp (2 per van)
1 – Sunglasses
1 – Glasses with Clear Lenses
1 – Small Hand-held Mace (for farm dogs or those wild animals they warn you about in the race bible!)
Toiletries: You might not need all of these all of the time, but hopefully someone in your van has them when you need them.
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Gum
Bug Spray
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Ponytail Holders
Headbands
Hairbrush
Moist Body Wipes
Moist Facial Wipes
Pepto Bismol (Beware Runner’s Trots and Dehydration)
Tums
Travel-size Contact Lens Solution
Contact Case
Travel-size Shampoo
Travel-size Conditioner
Travel-size Toilet Paper
Travel-size Vaseline
Band-aids
First Aid Kit
Nail Clipper
Ibuprofen
Garbage Bags
Paper Towels
Hand Sanitizer
Food: This is for the whole van. Bring any special food items that work for you before/during/after running. Avoid new foods and restaurants on race days. Remember, you can always stop at a gas station or grocery store if you need to reload.
Water (bottles of various sizes)
Sports Drinks
Protein & Energy Bars
Fruit (not too fibrous)
Trail Mix
Entertainment: Race rules have changed and a lot of legs are non-support legs. Keep yourself occupied.
Car Charger for Smart Phone
Camera
Magazines
MP3 Player
Travel Pillow
Car Games
Sense of Humor
Good Attitude
Team Spirit
I’d love to hear suggestions and recommendations based on your experience with Ragnar Relay! Let me know what you pack and what you wish you did (or didn’t) pack!
Minnesota Zumba Party Hearty – Saturday, March 26, 2011
The Zumba Party Hearty Minnesota is coming to the VIP Olmeca nightclub in Burnsville, Minnesota on Saturday, March 26, 2011.
Registration starts at 12:00pm. The cost is $10 and parking is free. Zumba begins at 1:00pm. This event will feature:
- Live drums with Lidia Berman “Conga Queen”
- Demonstration of Zumba for kids by the ZumbAtomic Team
- Live music by Principes Negros
- Performances by Latin Flavor on stage
- Live DJ by Deejay Nuyo mixing your favorites Zumba Hits
Dress to impress in your favorite workout wear, but remember: You will be exercising and sweating! You may also want to wear red – 75% of the ticket fee supports the American Heart Association. Party Hearty Zumba events across the country have raised nearly $400,000 USD as of the date and time this article was originally posted. That is amazing!
For more information, visit the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140044762726919
What to Wear to a Physical Therapy School Interview
I went to my second physical therapy school interview today.
To my first physical therapy school interview, I wore a gray cowl neck sweater, black pin-striped dress pants, and black flats. I wore my hair in a low ballerina bun. I recently was disappointed to find out that I was not accepted.
For my second physical therapy school interview, I wore what I would wear to a professional job interview: I bought a new, black Ann Taylor pants suit with a two-button jacket and camisole. I also wore conservative medium heels and my hair down.
To quote the great athlete and entertainer, Deion Sanders: “When you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you play good. When you play good, they pay good.” I am hoping for better results this time.
The other females I met today were also wearing suits – pants suits and jacket/skirts sets. Undershirts were collared button-up blouses or camisoles. The men I met today were wearing suits and ties.
Good luck to all of you interviewing for physical therapy school searching for what to wear!
Filed under Physical Therapy | Tags: ann, clothes, deion, doctor of physical therapy, dpt, interview, physical, Physical Therapy, physical therapy school interview, pt, sanders, school, suit, taylor, therapy, what to wear | Comments (2)Physical Therapy School Interview Questions
I recently went to my first physical therapy school interview and I really didn’t know what to expect. I haven’t heard the results yet, but here are my observations.
What to wear to a physical therapy school interview?
As a female, I wore a gray sweater, black dress pants, and black flats. All of the other interviewees (there were 14 other applicants) wore a black business suit with a conservative dress shirt underneath. The men wore ties. The women wore skirts and heels. If you want to look like everyone else at your physical therapy school interview, wear a suit. Wear comfortable shoes – we spent a half an hour standing in a cadaver lab and at least an hour on a walking tour of the facility.
What questions might be asked at a physical therapy school interview?
Our interviews were only 30 minutes of the full-day event. The interview included one faculty member, one second-year student, and one interviewee. The interview consisted of five behavioral interview questions. Each of us had five note cards and each note card had two questions from one of five categories. The categories were based on five professional skills that the school considers important for future physical therapists to have: Communication, Customer Service, Teamwork, Analytical Thinking, and Interpersonal Relationships. The interview consisted of one question from each category. My interview questions were:
Communication
Tell us about a time when listening was important.
Customer Service
Tell us about a time when you had to work with a difficult client.
Teamwork
Tell us about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty to contribute to a group.
Analytical Thinking
Tell us about a time when a common-sense approach helped you solve a problem.
Interpersonal Relationships
Tell us about a time when you had to work with a person/people from a different background than yours.
I’d love to hear about your physical therapy school interview experiences. Good luck!
Filed under Physical Therapy | Tags: analytical, background, behavioral, client, clothes, common sense, communication, customer, different, doctor of physical therapy, dpt, interpersonal, interview, listening, physical, physical therapy school, questions, relationships, school, service, team work, teamwork, therapist, therapy, thinking, what to wear | Comment (1)What to Pack for a Ragnar Relay
I’m getting ready to run my 3rd Great River Ragnar Relay. A new friend, one of my Zumba participants, has joined the team this year. She has a lot of questions. To help her out, here’s my suggestion on what to pack for a Ragnar Relay.
Clothes: Pack your favorite running clothes, but don’t over pack. You also get a very nice shirt from Ragnar in your race goodie bag.
1 or 2 Pairs – Running Shoes
3 – Running Tights or Shorts
3 – Running Tops
3 – Running Socks
4 – Comfortable Underwear
3 – Sports Bras (or if you’re like me 6 sports bras – why do sports bras have to be so terrible?)
1 – Long Sleeve T-shirt
1 – Light Jacket
1 – Comfortable Shoes or Sandals
1 – Comfortable Top
1 – Comfortable Pants or Shorts
1 – Baseball or Running Cap
1 – Swimsuit
1 – Towel
1 – Gym Towel
1 – Wet/Dry Bag
1 – Reflective Vest
2 – LED Lights
1 – Headlamp
1 – Sunglasses
1 – Glasses with Clear Lenses
1 – Small Hand-held Mace (for those wild animals they warn you about in the race bible!)
Toiletries: You might not need all of these all of the time, but hopefully someone in your van has them when you need them.
Sunscreen
Chapstick
Gum
Bug Spray
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Hairbrush
Moist Body Wipes
Moist Facial Wipes
Pepto Bismol (Beware Runner’s Trots and Dehydration)
Tums
Travel-size Contact Lens Solution
Contact Case
Travel-size Shampoo
Travel-size Conditioner
Travel-size Toilet Paper
Travel-size Vaseline
Band-aids
First Aid Kit
Nail Clipper
Ibuprofen
Garbage Bags
Paper Towels
Hand Sanitizer
Food: This is for the whole van. Bring any special food items that work for you before/during/after running. Avoid new foods on race days.
Water (bottles of various sizes)
Sports Drinks
Protein & Energy Bars
Sandwich Materials (bread, peanut butter, & jelly for me)
Fruit (not too fibrous)
Nuts
Trail Mix
Entertainment: Race rules have changed and a lot of legs are non-support legs. Keep yourself occupied.
Camera
Magazines
MP3 Player
Travel Pillow
Car Games
Sense of Humor
Good Attitude
Team Spirit
I’d love to hear suggestions and recommendations based on your experience with Ragnar Relay!
Filed under Running, exercise | Tags: clothes, Great, Great River Ragnar Relay, headlamp, LED, pack, Ragnar, Ragnar Relay, reflective vest, Relay, River, run, Running, running clothes, running shoes, shoes, sports bra, what to pack | Comment (0)