My booty has been well and truly shaken...

I do apologise for any distress the image in that headline may have caused you. I can assure you that no foundations of buildings were damaged as a result. At least not to my knowledge anyway.

I have been back at the gym. It's been a long time since my last visit. Too long. Yesterday I did some bike and treadmill and was knackered after half an hour. Today I went for a Zumba class. Sadly, the instructor's computer wouldn't work. After some hanging around, he put on a CD from 2010 and he and the rest of the class worked on remembering the routines. It was good fun to hear some of the old tunes. 

My fitness regime fell to bits last year as my workload increased. This year I must make the effort to tell the Liberal Democrats to sod off when they encroach on my gym time. I know that regular exercise makes me feel better and I should prioritise it. 

Oh, and by the way, I've thought of everything this year. Just in case it gets too snowy to go to the gym, look what I have here:

The first of you to laugh will be made to do this with me....

Anyway, it's getting pretty vital that I get myself fit. I'll never be thin, nor do I want to be, but I want and need to be healthier. 

Am back at gym at 9am tomorrow to get my new programme. My ambition is to get to the stage where I've not only had it upgraded once, but twice by Easter. Watch this space. 

My favourite Zumba song of the moment.............

.......is every bit as tacky and cheesy as you would expect of me. I have been trying to find it for weeks online and today I succeeded and it's now happily on my iPhone.

It's called Pegate (Spanish for get closer), by Treo. It's official video is here.



My husband just looked sad when I played it to him. He finds my musical tastes entirely unworthy. You can't help what makes your heart smile, though.

And Anna's comment when I showed her some of the moves that go with the song was "It makes my eyes hurt."

I love my family. Really I do.

Why I'm keeping up my Zumba during the election - and a wee treat for you

I have made the decision that, for a change, I'm not going to push myself to the absolute limits of what my body can take during this election. It took me six months to feel remotely human after the 2010 campaign and I've had enough health issues over the last few years, thank you very much. I am just not going to ruin another Summer by pushing myself too hard. I am still doing stuff, just not round the clock as before.

So, I am going to get my proper quota of sleep and I'm going to continue going to my Zumba classes because I feel that they are doing me good. I'm now doing 3 classes a week and they are definitely improving my fitness and stamina levels. You simply can't stop yourself from smiling when you hear the vibrant latin beats so they're good for the mood too. Even after just 10 weeks, I feel a lot more proficient at it. Note, this is all relative, and nowhere near good. I am frequently on the wrong leg, or moving the wrong way and some of the step sequences are too confusing for my brain to process.

Having said that, my heart rate goes up, I sweat and I have fun. What could be wrong with this?

I leave you with a little treat, though. This is not my class, although that's where I heard about it this morning. Apparently there are two young men, called the Zumba Boys, who do extremely popular classes in Edinburgh. Looking at the video below, which is available on You Tube here, I can see why and I know that many of you will agree with me. Enjoy.

There is no need to thank me.

Learning the Reggaeton Shuffle and the Merengue March - STV teach us Zumba

Do you know your Beto Shuffle from your Cumbia Funk?

Do you have the slightest clue what I'm on about, or does that last sentence make you scared?

There's no need to be - these weird sounding things aren't medical procedures, they are Zumba moves.

I'm now into my second week of Zumba classes and so far I'm really enjoying them. I have to say that last week the Wednesday class was much harder going than the Monday one. Wise people on Twitter suggested that two a week was maybe a bit too much to start with, but I think my body can cope with it and I will listen to it. I have no desire to slump back into the horrors of the last couple of years, believe me, so I won't take any risks.

I'm going to Nadia's and Cheryl's classes at Livingston Station Community Centre in Deans at 10 am on a Monday and a Wednesday. I've enjoyed the variety of the classes so far. I naively thought we'd be doing the same routine all the time, but there has been just the right amount of familiarity and new ground in every class which helps you build a wee bit of confidence that you know what you're doing, but stops you getting bored and thinking you know what's coming.

I was interested to see that STV are running an online Zumbathon on 27th January (that's tomorrow night) at 6.30 pm. To help with that, they've put up a series of video guides with instructor Donna Giffen which teach the basic steps. I'm sure that today in my class, I'll be deconstructing the routines in my mind to identify the moves which make them up. I'm hoping that what I've learnt online will enhance my often hilarious attempts to master the choreography.  When the instructors say don't worry if you're on the wrong foot, I am sure they're talking to me because I invariably am.

I don't really think that fitness DVDs in your own home, or online classes such as this, can ever replicate the dynamic of a class. There's something about actually being there with your fellow travellers. Not everyone can get to or afford classes, though, so this is a great idea.  I'm not sure I'll be back from doing the usual Thursday night chauffeuring runs in time to participate, but if you fancy it, you know it's there.