This Exercise Craze Is Giving Low-Income Women A Chance To Prioritize Their Health

This story first appeared in Intersections South L.A., a publication of the Annenberg Media Center, on October 30, 2014. “She used to be fat!” a woman said after Patricia Campos’ class on a recent weekday morning, nudging her elbow at a fellow student. “No, I used to be fat!” a friend chimed in. “I was fat, too!” added another. Just minutes prior, the trio of 30-somethings were among 20 women clad in black leggings and neon hued tops twisting side to side as a Dominican cumbia song blasted from the stereo. “Get movin’!” commanded Campos in Spanish, pointing to one woman’s waist with a mock serious expression of indignation. Campos herself bounced with energy, demonstrating each routine without resting between numbers. She paused only to snag a paper towel with her foot and wipe it across the floor to soak up flying beads of sweat. Nearly 40 Zumba studios have cropped up in the 50-square-mile region of South L.A. over the past few years, offering homegrown exercise facilities in an area that had long lacked affordable options. In an area of Los Angeles where the population faces a surfeit of obesity, the classes are one way Angelenos in South L.A. can work toward shrinking their waistlines. The environment itself has been one of the biggest obstacles to healthy living. There are few parks for calisthenics. Crime poses a threat to early morning or late afternoon runs. And traditional gyms are virtually nonexistent. All these factors make it p...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news