Sean M. Tolbert/Pioneer
Sandi K. Price, OCCC student and Zumba instructor, leads a group of Zumba enthusiasts in a demonstration before a crowd of students in the College Union. Zumba classes are currently being offered five days a week through the Wellness Center.

The hungry and studious students of OCCC were treated to an energetic display of the Latin-based dance craze Zumba in the College Union on September 8.

Zumba instructor Sandi Price said OCCC students and staff wanted to show off their moves to raise fitness awareness as well as demonstrate the fun students can have while blowing off some steam.

“The whole point of Zumba is to feel the music,” Price said.

“No two instructors are ever going to be the same. If you go out to a club no two people are going to be dancing the same, so every experience is unique and that is what makes [Zumba] fun.”

Zumba instructor Lisa Dunsmore said incorporating programs like Zumba and other aerobics alongside a student’s academic pursuits can definitely be a winning combination.

“We like to say that [Zumba] is a workout in disguise,” Dunsmore said.

“Each session through the Wellness Center is $4 but a much better and affordable option is to get the group fitness pass so that you can take part as many times as you would like.”

Physical Therapist Assistant Program Director Jennifer Ball agrees with Price regarding the fun one can have taking the classes.

“I’ve been doing Zumba for two years and I have to say it’s definitely like a party atmosphere,” Ball said.

“It brightens your mood and it creates a definite sense of longevity that spreads to other areas of your life.”

Price also said that increasing awareness about fitness for students in Oklahoma is important because of the rising problem of obesity in the state.

“[In terms of efficacy] Zumba is ranked third behind cardio aerobics and kick-boxing. You can burn anywhere between 500 to 1,000 calories in an hour,” Price said.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma is rated the 8th-most obese state in the country and the numbers illustrate the potential for that ranking to increase if proper health steps are not taken to curb the trend.

Price said that students are largely unaware of the facilities that the college offers and are also unaware of the benefits they have simply by being a student.

“A lot of students don’t know about the Wellness Center,” she said.

“They don’t know that these classes are available, they don’t know that there is a gym and they don’t even know that they can take classes at a discount.”

Zumba classes are offered Monday through Friday and dates, times and fees can be found in the Fall Fitness Program directory release by the Wellness Center, or online at http://www.occc.edu/RF/pdf/Schedule.pdf.

To contact Sean M. Tolbert,

email sportswriter@occc.edu