Jazzercise-Kearny Mesa & Moose Lodge

I started taking classes here a few weeks ago after having purchased a Living Social deal, and have been pleasantly surprised by how much fun I’ve been having with Jazzercise. I’m already noticing positive results! I really hope to continue doing lessons here once my Living Social deal has run out, & I can’t believe I found something I actually like!
I’d been wanting to get into shape and work on my cardio for several years, but haven’t been able to find the motivation to exercise (it’s usu. boring to me) and have a hard time sticking with any workout (it’s too easy for me to sit out in the middle of a workout video when I’m watching them at home… my living room has too many comfy chairs and the kitchen is close by and stocked with distracting temptations). Some of my friends have suggested that I join a gym (many of them go to 24 Hour Fitness), but I am one of those people who, when left to create my own workouts, does not have the drive to exert myself to the point where I actually, well, work out. However, these same friends have told me that the classes at 24 Hour Fitness get really crowded and are on a first come first basis, so you need to get there early to put your name on a list in most cases. After a long day at work, the last thing I need is the added stress of having to rush to get somewhere to put my name on a wait list, w/​a chance of being denied entrance into a class I’ve been looking forward to or planning to go to all day.
One of my friends who is also in the same boat as me found a Living Social deal for Jazzercise lessons, and we decided to take the class together. We thought that by signing up together, we’d be more likely to attend. My friend has since flaked, but after my first couple of classes, I decided it’s something I enjoy enough that I’d like to continue going to alone after our deal runs out. My mental image of Jazzercise prior to attending class was something along the lines of the outdated spandex-​y aerobic videos portrayed in movies, which I guess is a common misconception of the program’s workout regimen, since most of my other friends also had a similar mental image.
Jazzercise classes ended up being WAY different from what I had pictured them to be! The workouts are set to current pop hits and make you exert a good amount of effort while still being delightfully doable. I am usually dripping in sweat after 1 – 2 songs, which I’ve never gotten before from Zumba or hot yoga classes. The Moose Lodge is a large activity room and there is a stage at the front of it, where the instructor leads the class. Since she is on an elevated platform, it’s easy to see what she’s doing with her feet and what ‘s going on when we are doing work down on our exercise/​yoga mats. The Moose Lodge has shelves stocked w/​weights for people to use during class. Each 60 min class is split into 2 different parts– the first half puts emphasis on cardio & the second half has more strength and core training. The routines are challenging at first, but are easy to pick up, which is good because I am really bad at learning any kind of choreography. The classes aren’t too crowded (~10 people), and the environment is very low pressure. I love it because I have never felt more comfortable in an exercise environment. Everyone is friendly & welcoming; there are people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and I don’t feel like I’m being judged at all. It genuinely feels like we’re all there to work on our personal goals and to exercise to some fun music.
One thing that might matter to some people: There are no mirrors in the Moose Lodge. I know some people like being able to see themselves in a mirror while they’re doing a routine. However, I actually really like the lack of mirrors, because I’m really uncoordinated and am very self-​conscious about it… Usually, when I’ve tried doing dance lessons in the past, I am THAT fool in the back of the class who is a couple of bars out of sync or going in the wrong direction, and it gets embarrassing to the point where I will stop going to class. I feel like the mirrors at these places allow other people to see how bad I’m doing. I don’t like feeling like I’m being judged while I’m trying to exercise; it’s really distracting, and adds extra stress. I want to exercise in order to de-​stress! :) Since there are no mirrors here, the instructor faces the class as we do the routines; this is nice because sometimes she likes to chat with us during a rep and can see how everyone is doing.
Exertion level: more than jogging a couple of miles on sand, and definitely more exertion required than in Zumba (but less coordination needed). The Jazzercise instructors are aware that some people might not be able to do all of the moves in the routines (due to injuries or bad knees/​shoulders/​etc.) and they are really good about showing alternate motions some might try in the workout routines in place of the regular moves, but while still getting a good workout.