Men are not an strange presence in Zumba classes any longer. (Victoria Perez/Borderzine.com)

Men also can Zumba their way to fitness

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EL PASO – Entering a room packed mostly with women can make some men feel threatened and realizing that they have to join in and exercise to the rhythm of sexy music can be even more intimidating. “I was very very scared the first time because there were like 40 girls and I was the only man there,” said Marco Lopez. That’s how Lopez, 23, described his first Zumba class at the University of Texas at El Paso. Men are usually less attracted to aerobics classes for exercise and a class where all you do to work out is dance can become a big challenge for most men. Zumba has become the newest trend in exercising.

It Is Always Easier With a Gym Buddy

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EL PASO, Texas — I must admit I am a little bit calorie obsessed when it comes to food. I have never been able to blindly shovel food into my mouth without the nagging “How many calories am I eating?” thought in the back of my mind.  I work out as much as I can and warily watch what goes into my mouth. Thinking back, I’d say I would have to blame my health nut parents for my cautious eating habits.  Growing up, my parents worked out religiously and our refrigerator was stocked with only foods labeled “diet,” “low-fat” or “fat-free.” Skim milk, Equal and diet soda were staples in my household, and still are.  Our living room practically doubles as a gym with all of the equipment we own. I enjoy working out and actually find it rather therapeutic but I wasn’t always this way. As much as my family enjoys burning those calories every day, I on the other hand had never lifted a finger to use one of the various machines at our home.