At a professional development workshop I attended not long ago, the speaker asked what places made us feel welcomed? The D.R. Semmes Family YMCA at TriPoint immediately came to my mind. Just walking through its doors makes me happy. Why? Its outstanding staff and its tremendous range of group exercise classes and programs…and the free coffee doesn’t hurt! (Please BYORM…bring your own reusable mug.)

Zumba is my exercise of choice. I’ve never seen as many spontaneous smiles of joy while sweating our you-know-whats-off as I do in Mau the Magnificent’s classes. Seriously. Who knew burning calories could be this much fun? Mo dances with wild abandon, and his kind, encouraging and playful spirit permeates the dance studio as does his kick-A playlist. My fellow dancers–mainly women, but we do have the occasional brave male–and I have a ton of fun. If you’ve never given Zumba a try, do! Your life will be greatly enhanced. In fact, Judy, one of my dance buddies, just turned 70, and she is in great shape thanks to Zumba.

Mo teaches on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9 a.m.; Saturdays at noon; and Thursday evenings at 6:35 p.m. I’ve also taken evening Zumba classes with Janelly, Madeline and Lori at the TriPoint, and they, too, are excellent instructors. Find the classes that fit your schedule and go!

Fair warning: When I first started Zumba, I thought I was going to die. This class is high energy, and I was out of shape. Don’t be discouraged, though. I’ve seen plenty of students start off slow, only to samba, cumbia, salsa and merengue their way to fitness.

When my schedule doesn’t allow for a Zumba class, I head to the treadmill. Since we don’t get cable TV at home, I plug in and get my fix of HGTV while I walk/jog. The Y also offers childcare (ages 6 weeks through 6 years), personal fitness trainers and wellness coaches, a Pilates reformer studio, spinning cycles, a rock wall for climbing, strength training equipment, senior activities and more. A B-cycle station was recently added, so you may take a spin through Brackenridge Park to the Witte Museum’s docking station and back.

This weekend, TriPoint is offering a Citywide Open House from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, where you may try the Y for free. At 9 a.m., they’re having a pre-event BodyFlow class (Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates combo) in Studio I.

If you join the Y from May 17-19, you won’t have to pay the $49 registration fee. At the Y, you don’t have to sign an annual contract. Your membership is paid month to month. Individuals between the ages of 18-61 who aren’t students are charged $49 per month. Students pay $39 monthly, and seniors pay $48 monthly. A family with two adults or one adult and children under 18 pay $76 monthly, and a family with two adults and children under 18 pay $89 a month. What a deal!

When you leave the Y, be sure to pick up a spiritual vitamin. These uplifting sayings printed on brightly colored strips of paper never fail to make me think. One of my favorites was attributed to Oscar Wilde: “If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things that you don’t get that you don’t want.”

The TriPoint YMCA is located at 3233 N. St. Mary’s at the McAllister Freeway, not far from Trinity University. The Y’s phone number is (210) 246-9622, and they are open 5:15 a.m. until 9 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

 Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!