Aqua zumba - what you need to know

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Morning everyone, it's an early post from me today because I'm off campervan-ing with the family in a few hours. We're not sure exactly where we're going as we've left it a bit late to try and book a site on a bank holiday weekend (and the last one of the year) but I imagine it will be north Devon/Exmoor way.
Last night a friend and I went to our first ever aqua zumba class. We had such a brilliant time that I couldn't wait to share it with you. Originally we were just looking at going swimming for a couple hours at our local pool but when my friend said they were doing aqua zumba classes I jumped at the chance.
I've done a couple of zumba classes, as well as playing on the wii, and I've always enjoyed it. It's a bit of a cross between aerobics and latin dance, luckily for me you don't actually have to be a good dancer you just have to be able to shake your thang!
If you've ever done a zumba class then you will know that just because they are fun does not mean they are easy! You spend the whole hour moving/dancing/shaking around, exercising just about every muscle on your body - including the ones in your face if you happen to get the giggles like me - and by the end you feel hot and sweaty but elated that you've completed the class. Aqua zumba is just as much of a good workout but in different ways.
I was really excited to start, but feeling a bit nervous about what the class actually entailed but when the instructor put on the music - the first song was "do the locomotion" brill! - and start doing the moves you just have fun. You start off with basic warm up moves like jumping jacks and running on the spot before going on to more aerobic based moves, leg lifts, squats, lunches etc. The instructor does the moves from the side of the pool and while they might look easy on dry land, in the water with all the resistant pushing against you they are much harder. Try walking a few steps in the water in one direction before spinning back and walking a few steps, and repeat, and you'll see what I mean! The deeper in the water you go, the more resistant you get and the harder the moves are.
The second half of the class is much more dance based so expect to be wriggling you hips, doing turns in the water and slightly more complicated step moves. It's such a laugh - especially if you go with a friend.
What I love about aqua zumba is it doesn't feel like a workout at all. Because exercise in water in non-weight bearing you don't feel likes there is as much pressure on your muscles. You can feel them stretching out and they might ache slightly afterwards, but the next morning it's all completely gone. Plus being in water means you don't get red and sweaty!
You do feel a bit silly at first, especially if the pool have kept one lane open for normal swimmers who stop now and again to watch you, biut the great thign about it being in water in that no one can see what moves you're doing under the water they can just see you bobbing along to the water.
While I encourage you all to go and try out aqua zumba this class is only for the water confident. While you'll mostly be in the shallow (if you're petite) to the middle (if you're taller) parts of the pool there are parts of the class where you have to support yourself in the water, take your feet of the floor and move your legs in the water.

Do you like the sound of aqua zumba? Or have you already been to a class?

Beth xx