Zumba instructor Antonio McMath teaches a class at Bachman Community Center.Sweating through 45 minutes on a treadmill or elliptical machine can get boring day after day. Bachman Community Center is now holding Zumba classes Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30-10:30 a.m., offering those in the Signal Mountain community the option to mix up their workout routine in a fun way.
Bachman Community Center Executive Director Dawn Salyer also works part-time at the Downtown YMCA, where she found Zumba instructor Antonio McMath. She said he was the substitute instructor for a Zumba class there, and when he told the class he would be coming back to teach another session, they told all their friends and twice as many people showed up for the next class.
The same phenomenon has been happening at Bachman, with more and more participants showing up for each session, said Salyer.
McMath said what sets his Zumba classes apart is his high energy.
“I’m super-pumped all the time,” he said, adding, “I’m also the only male that teaches Zumba in Chattanooga.”
He said Zumba is less of a traditional workout and more of a party, yet it still burns around 1,200 calories per class.
“You get to get out of your routine and come and have some fun,” McMath said. “You get to have a party and lose weight at the same time.”
Participants need not preregister, just show up for class and pay the $5 charge.
McMath said he is considering starting an evening class and a class for kids at Bachman. He is also trying to gauge interest in a Zumba camp for kids and teens ages 10-16 during fall or winter break.