It is 9:45 a.m. A half dozen women belly up to the bar to get healthy drinks to fuel them for the Zumba workout scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. This class is designed with moms in mind. Toddlers sit on yoga mats or in strollers along the perimeter as the women grab a set of handweights. The music begins pulsating through the speakers. It is hard not to move to the beat. The women work at their own pace based on their fitness level. Age is no barrier. Each song has its own choreography and the women seamlessly move from one to another. Some beats underscore the boxing-like upper body workout. Others underscore the abdominal workout. A mom stops to comfort a fussy baby and moves the toddler to the beat. Once the baby is assured that mom is on the job, she goes back to watching the women from her stroller. The smiles of the women belie the hard workout as they dab a towel to glistening foreheads.
Ingrid Gomez is enthusiastic about the five times per week Zumba class. “It is to help moms get out of the house and stay fit. What brought me here was a health crisis. I had to change my lifestyle. Food, exercise and this class keep me on track.” Gomez is a hairstylist by profession. “The hours are crazy with lots of snacking. I tell women my story. Sure, I try to get them interested in the nutritional supplements that changed my life, but more importantly I want them to come to the classes.” The classes are free as a service to the Franklin Park community.
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