Zumba cutups

I really like to have fun when I exercise, which is why I’m a big fan of Zumba fitness classes. Lately my enthusiasm for the program has escalated to obsessive levels. I blame it on the clothes.

Taking different classes, I noticed women of all sizes looking cute and acting sassy in Zumba-brand clothing. While sweating like the proverbial pigs, jumping and shimmying to Latin beats, these women always had an extra oomph to their step. So I bought a few pieces of the logoed apparel.

Suddenly I was planning outfits to wear to workout classes.

My energy for exercise got so high before class started thatI was bouncing off the walls in my colorful capris, tank top and matching dance shoes … and bracelets, and earrings, and socks and ….

I realize this reads like advertising, and I’m sorry about that, but really, I felt really good. And I put more effort into the class, compared to the day before at the same gym, doing and wearing something else.

Was what I was wearing affecting the way I approached exercise? Some might try to answer this question searching the Internet for sociological research on the subject. I asked some Zumba teachers and enthusiasts.

Instructor and mother of four Bianca Skaff, 34, of Bismarck, believes that what you wear can influence how hard you try. “We dress for occasions, and an exercise class is no exception,” she says. “You want to dress appropriately but it doesn’t hurt to feel like you look good in something you are going to sweat in. It is a little boost of motivation to be able to wear something functional and nice to look at.”

Kellye Davis, 22, of Jacksonville, says she feels jazzed up after class, and it always has to do with what she’s wearing. “I feel my most beautiful after a workout when I’m pouring sweat and my hair is up in a bun because I’m working hard … the clothes just amplify the feeling.”

Since she graduated from high school, Davis has lost 50 pounds, and she credits her dance exercise. Now a Zumba instructor, she wears vivid outfits while teaching. “When I’m doing other workouts, I usually wear monochromatic colors like black, white and gray. When you’re wearing something you feel good in, you’ll feel like you can conquer the world!” (And she says it with that exclamation point.) CHANGING TIMES

In 1981 , Olivia Newton-John serenaded us in her spandex leotard, inspiring us to “get physical,” either through exercise or dancing with scantily clad men. The next year, Jane Fonda brought the aerobic dance obsession to millions of American women with her fitness videos while wearing a pink-striped leotard, tights and leg warmers.

(I really blame the movies Fame and Flashdance for making me think I was a dancer. In reality I was about as “smokin’” as a 9-year-old wearing purple legwarmers to school.)

Lea Ann Davis, 47, of Jacksonville (mother of Kellye) certainly remembers what active clothes were like 30 years ago. She owned the whole 1980s aerobics costume: leotards with footless tights, terrycloth headbands and wristbands as well as lumpy leg warmers, and she pulled her hair up in a high side ponytail.

Fortunately, “I think people have discovered that you can be comfortable and cute too, and the comfort level allows you to do more when you exercise,” she says. “Also, most of the clothing now is designed to wick away the moisture so you’re not drenched in sweat, with your clothes sticking to you.”

Jessica Heath, 31, of Benton fondly remembers watching her mother exercise to Fonda’s videos wearing a striped purple leotard. “There’s still a lot of spandex crimes being committed - so other than changes in actual styles, it really hasn’t.

“At least the short manshorts have fallen out of fashion. Those should never be brought back.”

Hear that, Richard Simmons fans? Leave those skimpy, shiny things to, well … Richard Simmons.

CUT IT UP

You’re feeling sassy in your new Zumba clothes. You add extra zing to your dance moves, looking oh-so-good in your “Bring Sexy Back” top.

You glance two rows over and see another person dancing with style just like you … and then you look around the room, noticing more and more are wearing the same thing.

Now you don’t seem to stand out so much anymore.

What’s a girl to do? Time to bring out the scissors!

Cutting up too-big or old-and-tired T-shirts gives them new life and your outfits personalization. Cutting can be as simple as taking the sleeves off a shirt, or adding beads. It could mean crocheting complicated patterns into the material.

Bernice Amoakohene, 33, of Little Rock, cuts her clothes to fit her body frame better and to keep cool while leading her Zumba classes.

“When I first started teaching Zumba, we were only cutting up our tops and tanks. Now I see people cutting up their leggings, too.

“With Zumba, the clothing sizes were inconsistent from line to line, so I had to cut my tops to make them fit me correctly. And the mass-produced T-shirts are usually one-size-fits-most - which is always too big for me,” she says. “I cut them to make them smaller.

“But when I started teaching Aqua Zumba, I cut my shirts and tanks because it was too hot to have so much stuff on, but I still wanted to remain somewhat conservative in my appearance.”

If you want to cut into this trend for yourself, Skaff recommends practicing on an older shirt. Don’t ruin something you just bought.

Even if you don’t get ideal results, you can use the same item to make something else, says Selena Walter, 37, of Benton. “There are so many ways of cutting up Zumba gear, even if you mess up, you can turn it into another style,” she says.

WHAT TO WEAR

Here are some recommendations on how to dress yourself for dance exercise classes like Zumba and Jazzercise: Wear comfortable clothes. Find things not too tight or loose that offer ease of movement. Heath says to consider wearing “something you won’t have to keep adjusting - you should be focused more on having fun than at tugging at clothing.”

Amoakohene has more suggestions on choosing what to wear. “When selecting pants and capris, make sure you can do a squat comfortably without your behind showing,” she says. “When selecting tops, make sure that your midsection doesn’t show [if you don’t want it to show] when you raise your arms.”

Find shoes specifically made for dancing. Shoes with traction (such as running shoes or cross trainers) will stick to the floor. It is harder to slide and turn when a shoe has a beefy tread. Shoes that are lightweight, flexible and without tread are best.

The correct shoe can also make or break how you feel after class. Aching in the hips or the knees? You could be wearing the wrong shoes. “Zumba is all about twisting and moving - you can easily twist a knee or ankle if your shoes grip the floor at the wrong time,” Lea Ann Davis says.

A suitable sports bra. Your undergarment should hold up to the intensity of the activity. Since dance classes can be moderate- to high-intensity workouts, a bra rated for high-impact activity should give the best support.

A big smile. If you aren’t wearing one when you walk into class, you’ll certainly have one by the time you leave. “Zumba is just so much fun and it really brings me out of my element. I’m usually pretty quiet most of the time, but you would never know that watching me - I have so much fun teaching others!” Kellye Davis gushes.

“I feel like I’ve only been exercising for about 20 minutes by the time it’s over and it’s actually been an hour. When I go to Zumba class I just laugh and smile. What other exercise program can make you do that ?”