Zumba is one of the most positive energy boosters on the planet! The infamous Columbian instructor Beto Perez created Zumba in 2001. He accidentally forgot his music for an aerobics class one day so improvised a class to a Latin music CD he happened to carry in his bag. He created some simple Latin moves and the class went wild with enthusiasm. Zumba Fitness was immediately born and now has over 14 million people enrolled in classes globally in over 185 countries.
Often, we think of exercise as a chore. We always say “I will start my diet beginning of next week” or “I will go to the gym after work’ but for most of us these are broken promises to ourselves. However, working out and working on our health does not have to be that bad; it does not have to involve lifting weights at the gym or starving yourself, it can be so much fun.
Zumba Fitness is a Latin inspired dance-fitness program designed to shake and shimmy the calories away while getting toned and fit. This high-impact hour class feels more like a party than a workout and is a great way to unwind and let loose while burning up to 1000 calories! It is effective, exhilarating and exciting; all the ingredients needed for a spicy class. Zumba comes in many different forms and offers a wide range of programs each targeting a specific fitness goal. Most popular classes include AquaZumba for those who love to move to the beat in water; Sentao (Zumba choreography incorporating a chair); ZumbaGold for the elders that are young at heart;Zumba Atomic for kids and Zumba basic classes for everyone. The main Latin styles explored are Merengue, Reggaeton, Salsa and Cumbia but you will also find a mix of Samba, Belly dance, Bhangra and many other international rhythms. There is something for everybody – men and women.
A Zumba Fitness class is arranged to include a collaborative balance between interval training and resistance training to ensure a full body workout. Interval training works on raising and lowering the heart rate many times within one class. This impacts the cardio zone, burns calories more efficiently and strengthens the heart as a muscle. Resistance training involves keeping the muscles tense throughout the class so that at the end you are left with a lean, toned body. Zumba toning sticks and other accessories add flavour to the classes as they double up as dumbbells and shakers at the same time.
So catch the infectious Zumba bug, sign up to a class near you and dance your way to sexy, sculpted abs that we are all dying for!At the end of the day it is not about looking great but feeling great, and it can be done in many fun ways that we do not recognize as physical effort.