How Jazzercise Kicked My Butt Back Into Shape

On January 1st, my friend Melissa and I sat on the cozy couch (while our families went on a walk!!), discussing our desires to get back into cardio and all of the ways that this new year’s resolution was going to stick. We even pulled out our cell phones and reviewed the schedules at the local gyms, all without ever actually standing up or leaving our comfort zone. We were going to get up and do it — tomorrow.

I used to love to sweat, going to the gym nearly every day for aerobics classes and weight training. Around ten years ago, I turned to yoga and found a new strength there. My love affair with yoga is another story for another day, but let’s just say my cardio had really fallen off despite my strong warrior poses and planks. On my 40th birthday, my doctor told me it was time to get back to the weights and cardio to protect my aging body and heart.

Facing my 42nd birthday, I realized that I had not done a thing in the form of cardio since this big talk of health resolutions. Sadly, all of the reasons I wanted to get back to the gym had not improved either (sleep, energy, stress, weakness, etc.). One last thing that happened that day — my friend JoAnn, who is a Jazzercise instructor, wrote me to wish me a happy birthday and to remind me that I would love the class and that I needed to make time to check out Jazzercise Winston-Salem. Hmmm… could it be a sign? Dare I give myself the birthday gift of making a friend happy and at least checking one attempt off my resolution list before month-end?

But I’m terrified. What is Jazzercise? What if I cannot keep up? What if everyone is better than me? What if I hurt myself? What if the class and music are super old-school and boring? What if it is a big clique and nobody likes me? What if I wear the wrong clothes? Is Jazzercise a good workout? What if I end up in the hospital? The number of “what ifs” I was able to muster almost overwhelmed me into staying home. However, JoAnn offered me a 7-day free pass if I would just treat myself to this one try on my special day.

My First Class

I put on my yoga gear and sneakers and headed to my first class with Dani on my birthday. The studio is in a strip shopping center next to La Carreta on Jonestown Road (if all else fails, at least I can enjoy some chips and salsa). But when I walked inside, it felt more like Cheers! Dani welcomed me by name (JoAnn had tipped her off that I was coming), and she wished me a happy birthday. After a quick check-in process and run down of what to expect from the class hour, I was met by excited classmates and current music.

What followed was a whirlwind of cardio dance, kickboxing, pilates, yoga and strength training. Before I knew it, the hour was up, and I was smiling (and sweating) from ear to ear. With no clock in plain sight and no mirrors to make me self-conscious, I danced, hopped, kicked, and laughed my way to a better mood and one of the best birthdays ever. My fellow Jazzercisers even wished me a happy birthday and shared their stories of how long they have been doing Jazzercise and why they love it so much. When class ended, I ran to the schedule to figure out when my next class would be. I went three more times on my free 7-day pass, and on my 6th day, I signed up for the next six months, and a new addiction was born. What’s not to love about a class that leaves you feeling empowered, centered, and strong?

What Is A Jazzercise Class Like?

But, you may be wondering what it is about Jazzercise that leaves me always wanting more. Let me try to summarize, but, to be honest, the best way to find out is to join me for class and try it out yourself!

What Is Jazzercise?

Jazzercise is a cardio dance workout, so it generates endorphins in your body, which actually make you happier. And with dance at its core, it feels a lot less like exercise to me than running or the elliptical machine. You are also surrounded by friends (new and old) who love and support you, and you are shaking your hips to the latest music from all genres (which also makes me feel more knowledgeable about the current music scene than I have in ages!). This is not to say that other workouts are not fun nor is it to suggest that Jazzercise is not a hard workout. It is. In fact, a one-hour Cardio Sculpt class (the most popular class format) is said to burn as many calories as an hour of running!

How Does Jazzercise Build Muscles?

In addition to the cardio portion of the class, which tends to run about 40 minutes, there is also a strength training portion of every Cardio Sculpt class that works all the major muscle groups with free weights, balance balls, exercise bands, and/or mat work. The fact that I can work every muscle in my body with cardio and strength training in an hour, complete with a safe warm-up and cool-down, is unbeatable in my book. While I tend to frequent the Cardio Sculpt class, there are also other formats that focus a bit more on strength training (Sculpt and Power Sculpt) and flexibility (Stretch). There are new routines every ten weeks, so you never have the opportunity to get bored (or even all that comfortable) before your whole workout is new again.

Is Jazzercise A Good Workout?

Yes. And this brings me to the amazing instructors, especially here at our Winston-Salem Jazzercise studio. Not only are these ladies great teachers who make me sweat, but they are also friendly, motivating, excellent storytellers, and really good at making me laugh out loud, even when I am working so hard I want to cry. Now that is skill! Every teacher is different and has her own energy level, music taste, etc. This adds to your options to keep your workout interesting.

Jazzercise has a healthy emphasis on safety and form, so you get the most out of every move without injury, and there is always a clear option for the same routine to be performed with high or low impact. You can really make it your own and feel safe doing it, thanks to the well-trained Jazzercise instructors.

What Keeps Me Coming Back for More?

I just celebrated my 50th class, and it still amazes me how much I look forward to every class. I have always been an active person, and there have been workouts that connected with me over the years, but never have I experienced an obsession with exercise. I think it is safe to say that this is a very healthy addiction. Looking back on my New Year’s resolutions, I am excited to report that my friend Melissa tried Jazzercise for the first time in May and has been joining me on the floor ever since. I guess some New Year’s resolutions are made to keep. There is nothing more motivating than being surrounded by women of all ages, lifting each other up, and demonstrating that you can stay fit at any age. So come on, ladies, the time is now to get started so we can dance into our 70s and beyond!

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Jazzercise start?

Jazzercise was created in 1969 by a dance instructor named Judi Sheppard Missett in Evanston, Illinois, when she noticed that many of her students were frequently dropping out of dance class. When she asked them why, many commented that they were not looking to be dancers on a stage so much as a fun way to get exercise and enhance their physical fitness. This insight led her to create a class that was initially called Jazz Dance for Fun and Fitness but soon was renamed to Jazzercise. Today, Jazzercise can be found in franchised locations around the world, and you can even do it at home via their streaming platform called Jazzercise On Demand.

Why is Jazzercise so expensive?

Jazzercise is always running promotions to entice new students. So it is worth checking their website for any deals before you go to your local studio to sign up. Once there, be sure to mention the promotion you saw online since they are national U.S. studio deals.

While it may seem expensive at first for studio classes, if you price it against most gym monthly memberships, you might be surprised to find it is not that much different. And, since you can get such a wide range of benefits from the cardio, strength, and stretch classes and classes that are always designed to serve your whole body, you can really expect to get a comprehensive, full-body workout in every class.

If you are looking for a less expensive option than studio classes, you might consider signing up for Jazzercise On Demand, the streaming version of Jazzercise’s offering for the at-home exerciser. This is actually what I have been doing since the COVID-19 pandemic, and I love it! At $25 per month for unlimited workouts, this experience is hard to beat if you like working out at home.

How do I cancel my Jazzercise membership?

For your local studio, the best way to cancel is to reach out to the studio owner to discuss your options. It will likely work well if you can give them 2-3 weeks heads up before your next payment is due.

If you have Jazzercise On Demand, just go to the website, select Billing, and find your subscription details near the bottom of the page. Then, click Change Plan and Cancel Membership. You should then expect your membership to be cancelled at the end of your current billing cycle.

Mention my name, Michelle Schenker, when you go for the first time to get your first class free at Winston-Salem Jazzercise. 

What is your favorite workout?