Zumba Dance Fitness

Zumba is an exercise fitness program created by Colombian dancer and cyclist/choreographer Alberto "Beto" "Power Pedal" Perez during the 1990s.Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC. The Brazilian pop singer Claudia Leitte has become the international ambassador to Zumba Fitness.

Zumba at People's Park Davao City

Zumba involves dance and aerobic movements performed to energetic music. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included.Zumba Fitness, the owner of the Zumba program, does not charge licensing fees to gyms or fitness centers.Approximately 15 million people take weekly Zumba classes in over 200,000 locations across 180 countries.

Origin

Zumba was founded in the mid-1990s by Perez in Cali, Colombia. In 2001, Perez partnered with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion, and the trio released a series of fitness videos sold via infomercial. Insight Venture Partners and the Raine Group made an investment in 2012. The company expanded into class instruction and by 2015, according to Perlman, there were 14 million Zumba students in 186 countries.

The name "Zumba" has no particular meaning; it was chosen arbitrarily as a brand name.

Classes

An instructor coaches a Zumba class in a fitness center

Zumba classes are typically about an hour long and are taught by instructors licensed by Zumba Fitness, LLC.In one Zumba class, a person can burn between 500-1000 calories, depending on the energy put forth.The music comes from the following dance styles: cumbia, salsa, merengue, mambo, flamenco, chachacha, reggaeton, soca, samba, hip hop music, axé music and tango.

There are nine types of classes, for different levels of age and exertion.

Zumba Gold is a program designed for beginners and older people.

Zumba Step is a lower-body workout that incorporates Zumba routines and step aerobics with Latin dance rhythms.

Zumba Toning is for people who do their workouts with toning sticks. It targets the abs, thighs, arms, and other muscles throughout the body. This type of Zumba class provides participants with a cardio workout and strength training.

Aqua Zumba classes are held in a swimming pool. The instructor leads the class poolside while participants follow in shallow water. Moves have been specially adapted to combine the same dance movements used in a Zumba Fitness class with those used in aqua fitness classes.

Zumba in the Circuit combines dance with circuit training. These classes usually last 30 minutes and feature strength exercises on various stations in timed intervals.

Zumba Kids and Zumba Kids Jr. classes are designed for children between the ages of 7 and 11.

Zumba Gold-Toning is a toning class for older participants with goals of improving muscle strength, posture, mobility, and coordination.

Zumba Sentao is a chair workout that focuses on using body weight to strengthen and tone the body.

Strong by Zumba was launched in 2016. This specialty combines high intensity interval training with Synced Music Motivation.

Zumba instructors have the option to become ZIN™ Members (Zumba Instructor Network members) to receive bimonthly training DVDs to assist with the creation of music and choreography for their personal Zumba classes.

Because Zumba offers different options, proponents of the Zumba program claim that it is safe for all ages, meaning that anyone from age 0 to 100 can participate in this form of aerobic exercise.At least some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people, to help them build strength, improve motion and posture, and socialize.

Benefits

Calorie and fat burning: At its core, Zumba classes provide a large calorie burn through aerobic activity done with interval training in mind. The average person will burn around 600 to 1,000 calories in a Zumba class. With the classes choreographed to provide intervals of intensity in both pace of music and type of movements, class members’ energy expenditure is maximized for fat-burning benefits. Fitness moves are also incorporated within Zumba dances, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself moving from a fast merengue beat to a long, slow set of push-ups on the wall, or doing several sets of squats followed by plyometric jumps.

Improved coordination: By joining a Zumba class, you’ll definitely improve your coordination, which is extremely important to maintain as you grow older.

Full body workout: Zumba is both a dance class and a fitness class. Aside from its heart-health benefits, Zumba provides a workout for the whole body. From head and shoulder rolls that loosen up the neck and warm up the upper body, to footwork that strengthens and stretches calves and ankles, this fitness method touches on nearly every muscle and joint. Even those who are just learning the dance steps will find themselves waking up the day after a Zumba class with a definitive post-workout feeling.

Aerobic benefits: Zumba makes reaching your target heart rate much easier than standard workout routines you’d find on a DVD or in a gym. It does this by using songs that play around 145 beats per minute. This fast pace makes it feel natural to move around quickly. This will set you on the path to true aerobic exercise. If you are trying to build endurance, this is the best thing you can do for yourself. Exercising for prolonged periods at this rate can increase the strength of your heart.

Anaerobic benefits: Because Zumba’s music plays at a fast pace, moving to the beat of the music can start to build up your endurance after only a few workouts. It builds up your anaerobic endurance rather quickly. Overall, it’s most useful for helping to maintain a good cardiovascular respiratory system. It increases how much oxygen you can breathe during a high-intensity event.

It gets you hooked on exercise: Workouts that feel like work are hard to get excited about. But Zumba is so enjoyable you actually want to keep coming back. It completely changes the idea of exercise because it’s something you really look forward to. It will keep you on a healthy routine!

Everyone can join in: Classes are offered at all levels, including standard Zumba, Zumba Gold for senior citizens, Zumba for kids and even Aqua-Zumba done in swimming pools. Because Zumba is based on music and dance, it seems to speak a universal language that people of all nations can related to. There is no large learning curve in a Zumba class, either. New participants may receive small-scale step rehearsals before some longer dances, but in most cases, first-timers can simply jump right into a class and follow along with the instructor.

Increased confidence: Thanks to all that dancing that a Zumba workout requires, you’ll lower your inhibitions, you’ll improve your posture, you’ll have better coordination and you’ll feel good about yourself. These changes will reflect immediately on your mood and on your appearance. Someone who feels good also has greater confidence.

Mood boosting: Zumba is the perfect workout to take if you want to get rid of all that stress you accumulate during your every day. The upbeat moves specific to this type of workout favor the release of those mood-improving endorphins, and by joining a Zumba class, you’ll surely be able to feel your worries melt away as you lose yourself in the music.

It’s social: At a Zumba class, you’ll be able to meet and interact with interesting and fun people. You could go to this type of workout for at least two or three times per week and you’ll get to socialize and make a lot of new friends among your Zumba classmates. You can also bring your friends to the party — instructors host “Zumba parties” for corporate challenges, bachelorette parties and more.