When instructor Diana Marusiak gazed out at all the faces staring back at her prior to a Zumba Gold class at the Centennial Recreation Center in Morgan Hill, she was a bit shocked by how many were in attendance for the very first session in November.
“I was surprised and overwhelmed at how many people showed up,” said Marusiak, who had more than 40 participants on that first day and has seen at least 30 per session since. “Now they are pushing for even more Zumba Gold classes for next year.”
Zumba Gold, tagged as ‘the lower impact, easy to follow Latin-inspired dance fitness party that keeps you in the groove of life,’ is led by Marusiak, a Zumba enthusiast who is licensed in several variations: Gold (low impact), Tomic (kids 4-12), and Sentao (toning).
“It’s for anybody who needs a low intensity, low impact workout. It’s for all ages,” said Marusiak.
Zumba Gold isn’t just for seniors, either. The class is open to anyone who has physical limitations or is rehabilitating an injury.
But, gauging from the healthy turnout consisting mostly of dancers in their 80s, the active lifestyle is becoming more and more the norm for older adults.
“Seniors today are more active and engaged. We’ve seen a real shift in the last couple of years,” said Susan Fent, Mt. Madonna YMCA Director of Senior Programs and Services. “We used to provide more arts and crafts programs, but now our seniors are flocking to our fitness programs.”
And Zumba Gold is the most popular of them all, which comes as no surprise to Fent. She mentioned that baby boomers in their 60s and up lived through the golden age of Rock & Roll – so they are “motivated by music and like to dance.”
“We have people in their 80s who are exercising for the first time in their lives,” she continued. “So many older adults are engaged in fitness programs that some of our classes have waiting lists.”
With her bubbly personality and Energizer Bunny stamina, Marusiak herself is another motivating factor for her older students in the Zumba Gold class, which is held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays in one of the gymnasiums inside the CRC off West Edmundsen Avenue in Morgan Hill.
“I’ve been taking aerobics for five years now. I started this class in November and it is just so much fun. I look forward to it every week,” said 76-year-old Issie Mosunic, of Morgan Hill. “She is so enthusiastic. She gets you excited to do it.”
Zumba exercise classes use choreographed moves to go along with Latin-inspired songs such as the Salsa, Cha-Cha-Cha, Meringue and Tango. Marusiak said she uses the same songs with the same moves each week, so the participants can gradually learn the routine and get more from it.
“I got hooked on it and got all my licenses,” said Marusiak. “They love the energy I bring to the class. I do it for fun. I really enjoy it. I love seeing the smiles on their faces during class as they’re moving and having fun.”
One of the major modifications for the Zumba Gold class, since it is a low-intensity workout, is the absence of jumping or physically demanding moves in the dance routines. That’s another reason why older adults – who want to stay in shape and have fun, but not risk hurting themselves – flock to the Zumba Gold class.
“Older adults now understand the benefits of exercise and how it enhances their ability to live a quality, active life,” said Fent. “We have seniors taking Tai Chi on Wednesday mornings and then they go right to Zumba Gold.”
Morgan Hill participant Rebecca Staudenmaier described Marusiak as “an incredible instructor.”
“She gets us motivated and excited about attending class,” said Staudenmaier.
Staudenmaier said she couldn’t keep up with the regular, high intensity Zumba class.
“But this class doesn’t have that, so I’m able to follow the moves and get a workout,” she smiled.
And with Marusiak leading the way, everyone has a great time.
