Beep, Honk, Wave, Shimmy!

Give me a honk, beep, wave, or shoulder shimmy! Feeling the love already!

Zumba for a Cure! May 10th

Okay, you know how there are just some things that are meant to go together? Like peanut butter and chocolate? Strawberries and cream? Milk and cookies? Little black dress and peep toe pumps?

Well, that is how I feel about me and the amazing Tanya Ryan! Throw some HOT Latin music in there and wrap it all up in the incredible event space at Open Square and you got yourself "Zumba for a Cure"!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011, 7pm, Open Square Event Space, donations gratefully accepted. All proceeds benefit Hunting for a Cure, helping to raise awareness and funds for a cure to Huntington's Disease.

Please feel free to contact me Kate@papercityzumba.com with any questions! Hope to see you there!

If you are looking for Zumba and Fitness classes in Western Mass including South Hadley, Holyoke and West Springfield, please visit www.papercityzumba.com for a complete class listing!

Be Kind to Yourself, It Might Lower Your Blood Pressure

Seriously. It might. Check out the video of a song we started doing this week called "Shake It" by Michael Franti and Spearhead with Lady Saw. The song is a happy expression of beauty being in the eye of the beholder and knowing that you are perfect just the way you are. To delve a little more, so many of you that I know personally are in the "helping professions" which require lots of giving to others. It also requires treating others with a certain amount of compassion. I came across this blog posting which suggests that people who find it easy to be supportive and compassionate toward others often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests. The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting ourselves can lead to better health. People who score more highly on self-compassion tests have less depression and anxiety and tend to be more happy and optimistic.

Give yourself a break, you deserve it!

The Best Gifts...

are the ones you can't put a price tag or gift wrap on. I know, I know, but it's true! This week I want to share a personal experience. My girls have swimming every Friday afternoon and it is always a struggle to keep my almost two year old son from jumping into the pool with them, throwing balls into the pool or just generally squirming around for the entire hour and fifteen minutes we're in the pool area. I had plans with a friend to meet up after swim with the kids for an early dinner. She offered to bring baby boy to play and take a walk. It was on the tip of my tongue to say, "Oh no, we can manage, I don't want to trouble you." But instead, I said, "Thank you, that would be wonderful." I don't know if this is the case for you, but I often have a hard time accepting help or "gifts" like that from people. I am conditioned, as a mother, to think I have to do it all myself or maybe I just have gotten used to doing some things like that myself. I am really trying to graciously accept these gifts which are freely given. On Friday, baby boy could have had his usual afternoon of squirming and being told, "No, Stop, Come back here!" Instead, he spent time with a wonderful friend who delighted him with playing picnic, going down the slide, hanging upside down from the monkey bars and getting blessed fresh air! And I was able to sit and enjoy watching my beautiful girls swim like little seals and just soak them up. What a gift. So the next time someone freely offers a gift, accept it with open arms and know that the time will come when you can make someone else's day the way my friend did for me.

You never know how what might seem a simple act of kindness to you can really impact someone else's life positively.

If you are looking for Zumba or Fitness classes in Holyoke, South Hadley, West Springfield or Western Mass, please visit here for a complete list of classes!

New Class Coming to Paper City Fitness!

Wednesdays at 7:00pm, directly following Zumba at All Saints' Episcopal in South Hadley! Come get yourself toned, work on improving your core strength and improve your overall fitness with a head to toe stability ball workout that includes free weights and body weight exercises.

Drop in rate is just $5 or one punch on your card! Stability ball classes begin Wednesday, March 23rd, no pre-registration necessary. Please bring ball, free weights and either mat or towel for final stretch. Feel free to contact me with any questions at Kate@papercityzumba.com.

Coin scarf order has been placed! I should have them next week in class for those that would like to purchase one. If you want to take one for a test drive, I always have some in my suitcase that you can try out.

Working on some hot new songs: a new salsa, reggaeton and a cumbia that you will absolutely love!

Paper City Fitness: Bringing fabulous to a class near you!

P.S. The disco ball arrived this week!

If you are looking for Zumba Fitness, Boot Camps, Pilates, Stability Ball or Sculpt/Tone classes in Holyoke, South Hadley, West Springfield or Western Mass, please visit www.papercityzumba.com for the most up to date class listings!

Jump in, the water's great!

I love vacation weeks, it is so nice to be able to stop and slow down just a little or even just break out of the routine. This week I have been thinking about the comfort zone. Obviously, there is something, dare I say it, comforting, about knowing that we are good at something. Or getting ourselves into a routine and sticking with it. But when does the comfort zone become a detriment? Let me give you an example: I have an old friend that was in a car accident. After the accident, she become so nervous and upset everytime she got behind the wheel she started to find ways to make driving easier. First, she wouldn't take the highway anywhere. Then, she wouldn't drive after dark. Finally, she will literally NOT make a left hand turn. This is her comfort zone. Is it safe? Probably more so than if she did these things. But what is she missing out on? Visiting friends. Taking a direct route instead of having to mentally figure out how not to turn left. Who knows what else and the point is she will never know!
A few years ago, a friend of mine was going on maternity leave from her job as a Fitness Instructor. I was her front row diva. She asked me if I would consider training to be her replacement while she was on leave. I almost said, "No way!" immediately. But I didn't. I thought about it and even though it was WAY outside of my comfort zone, I figured I would give it a try. I figured at the least all I had to do was get through a couple of months, at the best I might find out I really enjoyed doing it. Wow! When I think about how different my life might be if I hadn't said yes and stepped outside the comfort zone I am blown away.
So here is my question to you. How many opportunities are you missing out on? Are you not shaking it as much as you could in Zumba because you are afraid someone will think you look funny? I promise, they won't! Are you not letting out that giant WEPA! or whoo-hoo! in class because you are afraid you'll sound silly? I promise, you won't! Did you not try something new because it might be hard? Yes, it might be, but there is great satisfaction in learning a new skill. Don't hold back, do a gigantic cannonball or dip your big toe in the water, I promise it feels great!
This week begins our session at Metcalf School, Northampton Street, Holyoke, Thursdays at 4pm. We had such a great turnout for the demo class, I am convinced that we have a hot one on our hands. And what's great about that is that we will be doing something good for our public schools as well as doing something good for our bodies and ourselves! Please spread the word about this class, it is open to ANYONE who wants to attend. There will be a suggested donation of $5. One-third of all proceeds will be donated to a Metcalf School Wellness Fund to help purchase gross motor skill equipment.
There are no changes to this week's schedule at All Saints' Episcopal. Wednesdays, however, are All Request! Send me your favorite songs and we will do it up!
Please click here for a complete list of classes.

If you are looking for Zumba classes in Holyoke, South Hadley or Western Mass, please visit my website for more information.

Thursday Night's Playlist

DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love Again- Usher/Pitbull

Lagartija Azul

El Mambo de los Shorty's- Tito El Bambino

Alright- Pitbull feat. Machel Montano

La La La- La Banda Loca

Luna- Eddy Lover

Yeah! (Batuka Mix)- DJ Joao and DJ Payssao

Salsaton- El Rubio Loco

Like a G6- Far East Movement

Blue Zone- Don Omar

Sacudelo- Willy Chirino

Donya- Arash and Shaggy

Somewhere Over the Rainbow-

If you are looking for Zumba classes in Western Mass: Holyoke, South Hadley, or West

Springfield, check out www.papercityzumba.com for a complete class listing.

Paper City Zumba with Kate O'Donnell: Bringing fabulous to a class near you!

FREE ZUMBA CLASS!

Who says you can't get something for nothing? Yes you can!

Come check out Paper City Zumba with Kate O'Donnell at Metcalf School, Northampton St, Holyoke, MA, Thursday, February 17 at 4pm! Bring water, comfortable workout clothes and sneakers with good support!

This is a free class to kick off our new session and to beat those February blues. Bring your friends, this is sure to be a HOT one! Want more information? Visit www.papercityzumba.com for all class times and locations!

Reclaim Fun!

A friend shared this video on her Facebook site and it made me stop and think. Here's a quick synopsis: a team of scientists found that by making a traditionally drudgerous task fun, people chose fun almost every time regardless of how "hard" it was.
Hmmm.
Just like something else I know. ZUMBA!
So I thought about it, why not apply that principle across the board? It's easy to see how much fun children can have doing something like folding laundry or digging holes for planting flowers because
they haven't learned yet that it isn't fun!
My challenge to myself and to you for this week is to "unlearn" that something isn't fun.
Have a paradigm shift.
Forget that exercise isn't supposed to fun, just "good for you."
Forget that making dinner is a chore and reclaim your inner child!
Let's take back the fun, startiung with Zumba on Monday night!

How to Stay Motivated

Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you should scrap your exercise plan! After all, wasn't it just a few short weeks ago you were swearing that you were going to exercise three times a week? Or maybe you made your SMART New Year's Goals? But right about now is the time we start to falter...
1. Make a list of all the reasons you want to succeed at your wellness goal. Really, it can be anything, from the very serious, "I don't want to die of heart disease," to the supremely silly, "I want to be able to zip my jeans without having to use a fork to do it!" Now take that piece of paper and put it in your wallet, purse, glove compartment, anywhere you can easily access it. When you're tempted to skip your workout, pull it out and reread it. There is your motivation, in your own words! Hard to argue with yourself, isn't it?
2. Plan ahead! It works for me with meals for the week for a family of five that holds down 2.5 jobs with two school age children who have their own activities. I may deviate from the plan, but at least I had one! So pack your exercise bag the night before and put it in your car. Pack a healthy snack instead of the vending machine at work.
3. Give yourself permission to skip one workout a month. Yes, it actually works. Think about it, what are you going to waste your one skip on? "It's cold out," or "I have a migraine." And who knows, maybe you'll get to the end of the month and never have to use it!
Let's face it, human nature is to make excuses. In spring, it'll be because it's too nice out, in summer it's too hot! There will always be something, right?
Don't let it always be something for you!
Paper City Zumba and Fitness: Bringing fabulous to a class near you!

Paper City Zumba Class Announcement!

Classes are cancelled tonight ONLY, Wednesday, January 12, 2011! Please be safe if you must go out!

I can't wait to see you all back on Monday, January 17, 2011, 6pm Sculpting and 7pm Zumba!

Visit www.papercityzumba.com for the most up to date class information!

Tonight's Playlist 1/10/11

It's been awhile since I shared my Zumba playlist so here goes!

Dance and Shout(Dance Hall Version) Shaggy and Pee Wee

Yo Te Beso (Y Arrapaparapapan) JN3

I Fell in Love with the DJ Cheynelle

La Isla Bonita (Salsa Remix)

Prrrum Cosculluela

Pena Por Ti Fulanito

Yeah! (Batuka Mix)

Luna Eddy Lover

Alright Pitbull & Machel Montano

Acuyuye DLG

Temperature Sean Paul

Ahora Es Wisin y Yandel

Abdel Khader Tres Mundos

Mis Colegialas Crooked Stilo

Hallelujeigh Alexandra Burke

New Year, New You Baby!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! We enjoyed our Christmas this year so very much. This week I just want to take a moment to reflect on the idea of New Year's Resolutions. I think they have really gotten a bad rap over the years. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with using the start of the new year as a time for reflection on the past year, assessment of what worked and didn 't work for you and then a resolution for change. I think the problem comes when we have grandiose expectations of ourselves, beat ourselves up when we can't possibly achieve these unrealistic expectations and then backslide when we fail.
So how to keep that from happening? Make New Year's Goals for yourself. Write them down, we are far more likely to commit to something when we put it in writing. Make your goals SMART. That is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. A SMART goal might be,"I would like to achieve well- being and establish good habits, over the next three months, through a combination of healthier eating, exercising three times a week, and getting 8 hours of sleep a night." Instead of, "I want to be in better shape." Looking at this goal it is specific, (achieving well being through these steps), measurable, (we can keep track of how many times we exercise, how many healthy meals, pounds or inches lost etc.) attainable, (this might be different for everyone, so you pick what is attainable to YOU), realistic (notice my goal wasn't to compete in the Olympics in body-building ;) and timely (I am going to assess my progress at three months and see what I need to change, if anything.)
Wow! What a difference from "I'm going to go to the gym more often" or "I want to get in better shape." In a fairly simple example we created a goal that would work! If you would like help in creating a SMART goal for the New Year please email me directly, I am always happy to help!
Next Two Weeks' Schedule
NO CLASS, Monday, December 27th at All Saints' Episcopal, South Hadley.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010, 5:45pm, New Year's Class! I will take your requests for any songs you want to hear, prizes and giveaways during class and snacks and treats after class!
Monday, January 3, 2011, 6pm, All Saints' Episcopal, South Hadley, starts 6 week session of Strength Training/Pilates, 45 minute class. Please bring a set of free weights and a mat. Sign up for the six weeks at the first class and receive discounted price of $30/session, or $7/drop in. Punch cards are good for this class.
Monday, January 3, 2011, 7pm, All Saints' Episcopal, South Hadley, Zumba, always $5 drop in, one punch on punch card.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011, 5:45pm, All Saints' Episcopal, South Hadley, Zumba, always $5 drop in, one punch on punch card.
I do not have a schedule yet for West Side Dance Center, West Springfield or a community class in Holyoke, but as soon as I do, I will send an email and post to the website. I am looking for an additional site in Holyoke, preferably a 4:00pm time frame at least on Thursdays and possibly Tuesdays as well. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to email me directly.
I wish every one of you happiness, health and joy in the year to come and thank you for your continued support of me and of Paper City Zumba!

The Power of Music

I was getting ready to change my cooldown song from one beautiful song, Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke to Con Te Partiro by Andrea Bocelli. I was listening to Con Te Partiro to see if it would work for my purposes. (it did) My four year old came out to the kitchen, arms crossed, brow furrowed and declared, "I don't like that song."

"Really?" I said, "But it is so beautiful."

"It's sad," she said.

Whoa! She's four, and it's in Italian. But she knew.

And then, my six year old came out to the kitchen and wanted to know what the words to the song meant in English. So we went to Youtube and found a video where we could listen in Italian and read the words in both Italian and English. As I read the words aloud to her, the tears streamed down her face and she wept and wept. Open heart, light heart, beautiful heart.

What is it that moves us so deeply?

Is THIS really the secret to Zumba's success???

And how did the two songs work in class? Using Hallelujah, people openly sang the words. We had one class in a church where the lights in the church came on just as the final crescendo hit! Timing, as they say!

Con Te Partiro, we all sang, welled up and who knows what we thought of?

Party in Pink a Success!

Tuesday night's Party in Pink was a huge success thanks to the hard work of Tanya Ryan at Tanya Gets You Fit! 80 people heated up the South Hadley Town Hall and rocked it out to benefit breast cancer research! $560 in donations, three great instructors, what a great event! I was honored to be a part of it. Watch for more collaborations between Tanya and I coming soon!

Party in Pink Zumbathon!

I hope everyone is enjoying this divine weather! It is pure heaven. My good friend and fabulous fellow Zumba instructor, Tanya Ryan, also the owner of Tanya Gets You Fit; personal training and group exercise in Western Massachusetts, is hosting a Party in Pink Zumbathon! I am honored that Tanya has asked me to be a guest instructor at this awesome event.
The PIP Zumbathon is Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 6pm, South Hadley Town Hall, South Hadley, MA! This is a free class, but please feel free to make the suggested $5 donation since proceeds go to Susan G. Komen Cancer Research.
Tanya is a great instructor with an amazing fitness background, she will show us a GREAT time. We will also be joined by Amanda Drew. Please consider lending your support to this amazing event.

What is the best workout you can do?

What is the best workout you can do? The one that you will actually do! In my opinion, this is the key to Zumba's success. Zumba has tapped into the fun factor and has created an exercise program that everyone can benefit from: novice exercisers to highly conditioned individuals. For someone who is just beginning an exercise program, what better way to feel successful than to join a class where "go at your own pace" is the mantra, you will start with the basics! And if you are highly conditioned, we will work together to challenge your cardio endurance and work large muscle groups with holds and pulses! There is truly something for everyone!

I have been thinking a lot about the "best" workout and I truly believe it is the one you will actually do! What does this mean? Consistency! Find something you love to do and keep doing it! Does this mean that you can only Zumba, or run or swim as your only exercise forever? Nope! But that is the topic for the next post!

Fear

So this week I have been thinking a lot about fear. My oldest daughter, Erin, started Kindergarten on Wednesday at a new school. She had been to half day pre-school but this was her first time away all day. Every night she woke up with a bad dream that usually involved a lost lamb. We talked quite a bit about some of the things she could expect from her first day. Still, on the first day, when it came time for me to leave, she cried. I reminded her about all the great things we had talked about: learning to read, making friends, music class, recess, a brand new lunchbox! But did any of that matter? No, because Erin was scared and no amount of talking was going to fix it completely. So, fear of the unknown.

How many of us can relate? How many times have we put off doing something that we know will be good for us out of fear? Fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of looking silly. How many wonderful things have we missed out on?

I think of this often in relation to exercise classes and specifically Zumba because of its dance component. One of the things I hear most often is, "Oh, I can't do that. I don't know how to dance." or "I'll look stupid." or "Everyone will be looking at me." I usually respond that I have no formal dance background. But I love music. And you don't come to a class already knowing how to do everything! What fun would that be? There would be no reason to come back. And finally, you won't look stupid and no one will be looking at you, they will be looking at me!

So wasn't my Erin lucky? She HAD to go to school and by being thrust into that new situation, she had, in her own words, "the best day ever!"

Isn't it time you had your best day ever? Let's conquer that fear together!

Welcome to Paper City Zumba with Kate O'Donnell

The idea for Paper City Zumba came from a good friend. She has lost over 100 lbs and has maintained her weight through a combination of Weight Watchers and home exercise videos. She came to my Zumba class at a local gym and loved it. Zumba spoke to her love of music, performance and voice; she is a classically trained singer with an amazing voice. She wanted more Zumba and the classes offered didn't fit into her schedule, it was hard to justify a gym membership when what she really wanted was more Zumba classes and more flexibility.

I realized that many people fall into this category and for lots of reasons. Busy schedules, busy lives, we all know how that is! And she was not the only person who shared this frustration with me. Thus, Paper City Zumba is taking Zumba out to the community and making it accessible to everyone. What does that mean? Classes are open to all fitness levels, no dance or fitness background required! The price is affordable, $5 drop in per class. What is stopping you?

Two brand new classes beginning 9/13/2010:
Mondays, 7:00pm, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Woodbridge Street, South Hadley, MA, $5
Tuesdays, 5:45pm, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Woodbridge Street, South Hadley, MA, $5

*All classes are 1 hour long, please arrive a few minutes early to sign in. Supportive sneakers, water bottle, small hand towel are recommended.