BLOG: Dancing IS Exercising!

There are many things I love in this world, but only so many that I love with a passion—my kids, chocolate and dancing are just a few of them.

I’ve been on this weight-loss journey since October 2011 and have since dropped 30 lbs in total. For those of you who think, “Yeah, but I hate the gym and I can’t spend all that time on the machines and everyone looks at me, etc., etc.,” well guess what? I only spend one hour a day at the gym in a class that allows me to dance, sweat and burn off calories.  

The class I’m talking about is U-JAM Fitness. Established in January 2010 by Susy C. and Matt Marks, this fun workout has quickly caught on fire. Classes are currently held in fitness centers and health clubs across the Bay Area and beyond.

There are over 90 classes in the Bay Area and five classes at the 24 Hour Fitness in Morgan Hill alone.

U-JAM Fitness is an athletic hip-hop workout that combines dance and high-energy music for a workout that’s bound to get your heart rate up, your body moving and make you work up a sweat, all while having fun.

It’s a cardio dance fitness program that unites world beats with urban flavor, and some individuals can burn up to 1000 calories a session. I alone burn an average of 600 to 800 calories, according to the heart rate monitor that I wear faithfully.

I go to a class anywhere from four to six times a week. I count it as my one hour of cardio a day, but it really works your entire body—not just your legs. It’s a program for both men and women, all ages and fitness levels.

Recently, U-JAM celebrated its two-year anniversary with a party at Club Sport in Fremont. Six hundred of us showed up for the event and it was like being in a nightclub with all the cute outfits and makeup. To get in the spirit, I had purple tinsels in my hair. The event itself was a 90 minute class, but students arrived as early as five hours beforehand just to get in line and mingle.  

I’m honored to have spent the last two anniversary parties with most of the “U-JAMMERS.” It’s an experience that cannot be told—only felt. It's amazing to see hundreds of people, with different hobbies, jobs, ethnic backgrounds and beliefs, come together through dance.  

This past Friday, I participated in the 90 minute U-JAM Breast Cancer Awareness Month event at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose. About a hundred women, all sporting their pink to show support, attended the heartfelt event held for a good cause.

U-JAMMERS also held a recent clothing drive to collect old dresses and shoes to donate to high school girls for upcoming prom events. And U-JAM is giving back again this Saturday, April 28, with another U-JAM event at Club One Silver Creek in San Jose. The event will benefit the Arise School in Rwanda where the niece of one of the U-JAM instructors is currently working.

One of my best friends is an instructor and introduced me to U-JAM Fitness in 2010, but I've become a better and more faithful student over the last few months. I now refer to myself as a U-JAM addict, and what a great thing to be addicted to! Health and Fitness are the way to go, especially in California, which is known for being full of beautiful people.

So what are you waiting for? Get your booty out there and shake it all while losing weight.

For classes near you, click “classes” on the U-JAM website.

Suzi Sellers teaches Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and Friday at 9 a.m. at the 24 Hour Fitness in Morgan Hill. And Gale Snyder teaches a 9 a.m. class on Sundays at the same location.

Classes are free for 24 Hour Fitness members or $10 for visitors. The center also offers child care for the moms and dads out there.

Classes should be coming to the Gilroy and Salinas areas soon.