Confessional

What your zumba teacher thinks of you

MY CLASSES are mostly with the over-40s who want to get fit, and it shows. Zumba is a fast, fun dance workout and beginners tend to wildly overestimate their abilities.

I try hard to keep it slow, with plenty of breaks and simple steps, but in almost every class, someone gives up.

Once I was genuinely worried that one woman was going to collapse — she went bright red and couldn’t get her breath. Because there’s loud music and everyone’s having a good time, people get caught up in the atmosphere and don’t pace themselves.

Now, I watch them like a hawk. It’s a brilliant way to get fit, but it annoys me when people use the session to catch up on gossip.

There are a couple of friends in their 40s who always go to the back and have a loud conversation during routines — it distracts everyone.

Or you get the compulsive loo-goers, who are forever nipping out just as I’m explaining some new move.

It’s more rewarding when people get the bug. One woman comes three times a week and is thinking of becoming an instructor herself.

She was overweight when she signed up, and now she’s a size ten. I’ve helped change her life, and it feels brilliant.