Overview:
Shewanda Riley, a Dallas-based author, shares her experience of learning the importance of having tennis shoes with a pivot point for Zumba classes. She realized that wearing shoes without a pivot point put her at risk for severe knee damage. After buying shoes with a pivot point, she noticed that she found it easier to do complicated dance moves and her knees no longer hurt. Riley also reflects on how the shoe's pivot point has helped her navigate unexpected changes in life, such as the death of loved ones and economic and political chaos. She finds peace in knowing that God has prepared her for these changes.
“Get you some good tennis shoes! Find one that has a pivot point.”
My first thought when I heard my Zumba class instructor say this a few years ago was “what is a
pivot point?”
Since I was new to the class, I tried to play it cool and kept nodding my head as if I completely knew what she was talking about. Perhaps sensing that not everyone knew, she repeated her statement and then lifted the bottom of her shoes and pointed to the pivot point. “AHHHH…Got it,” was the response from a few of us “newbies” now that we understood.
She added that cardio dancing in tennis shoes without the pivot point put us at risk for severe damage caused by twisting our knees. It was my third time in class, and I was glad for her advice since I’d just started my fitness journey. Honestly, I didn’t know that I needed to get new shoes for the type of workout class.
As a result, I ended up taking my first Zumba class wearing the same tennis shoes I’d used to walk around the park in.
Big Mistake!!!
After the first class, I remember my knees were sore for a couple of days and I dismissed my pain as me being new to Zumba.
It made sense now why my knees were hurting those first two weeks. So, I bought my tennis shoes with the pivot point and wore them to my next Zumba class. During class, I noticed that I found it easier to do some of the more complicated dance moves. Also, after class I noticed that my knees were not hurting at all.
I’ve been through a few pairs of tennis shoes since then and always take note of the pivot point
when it comes time to buy a new pair. On the bottom of most shoes, it looks like a bunch of circles, but they help so much when it comes to the sudden twists of Zumba dancing.
Sometimes, we have to pivot without any advance notice. I’ve thought about the shoe’s pivot point being helpful as I’ve looked at how I myself and others prepare for and deal with change. More specifically, I’m thinking about how the last few years have brought unexpected changes like deaths of family and friends as well as the uncertainty of economic and political chaos. In many instances, we went from an old reality to a new reality in an instance. I’m thankful that God has prepared me for some of these changes by giving me a peculiar peace before the transition.
It happened before my Daddy died a few years ago. These were examples of what Philippians 4:7 says:
“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His
peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Many of us know that peace often follows a storm including expected change. Yet I’m also learning that peace can also be the thing that God sends you to help you pivot and navigate the winds of change.
Shewanda Riley, PhD is a Dallas, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram @shewandawrites.