More than 30 local residents have vowed to lose nearly 1,000 pounds in the coming year with Zumba, and others are invited to join them this week for free classes at Andalusia Health and Fitness.

Instructor McKena Fore said the promotion was designed with New Year’s resolutions in mind.

“We did some research and found out that the No. 1 resolution is to lose weight,” Fore said. “At the gym, we like to encourage members to be the best they can be and to look great. We wanted to give everyone a push to meet that resolution, and to do that, we’re offering the free classes.”

The free classes will be held this week from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. On Monday night, 35 people came.

“And that was men, women and even a few expectant mothers,” Fore said. “We also are offering nutritional information, and we did a tally of how much weight everyone wanted to lose this year, and it came up to 993 pounds.”

With Zumba, Fore said participants say they love the “no pressure environment.”

“With a regular workout, sometimes people are intimidated,” she said. “With Zumba, there’s an open house party type atmosphere. It’s dance with fitness incorporated in the moves.

“You see results not only from the cardio workout, but also from doing the dance moves,” she said. “You’ll be squatting, doing ab crunches. It’ll work your calves, your front, your booty, back, arms and everything. You won’t get one aspect. It’s a whole body workout.”

After this week, the normal class schedule will resume, with classes offered Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8:15.

Monthly gym memberships are $35 a month, and for members, there is no charge for classes. For non-members, it’s $5 per class, Fore said. During January, the normal $20 initiation fee is waived for new members.

“We want you to be fit and think fabulous,” she said.

Andalusia Health and Fitness is located on Church Street, across from Region’s Bank.