Christmas has come and gone, but in its place has left its friend behind….Mr. Holiday weight. Not to fear because “Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus…” with a belated Christmas present. Ladies and gentleman turn off your treadmills, get off your elliptical, and get ready to party that weight off. Let’s lose that holiday weight with style and a whole lot of fun. Take two cups of salsa, a tablespoon of cha cha, a smidge of samba, tango and merengue with hints of flamenco, hip-hop, belly dancing served with a side of calypso. What do you get? Zumba!
“Ditch the work out, join the party.” Zumba fitness is a Latin inspired dance fitness workout. It combines Latin sizzle and addictive rhythms to sculpt your body, while embracing the sensuality of the Latin dance steps. This carefully defined workout is designed specifically for effective weight loss – helping to lose from 400 calories to as many as 1000 calories in 45 minutes – all while moving to Latin rhythms.
Feels more like a party than dancing right?
This workout incorporates Latin dance moves, which target the core to help you get those JLo abs you’ve always dreamed of. Zumba also focuses on your legs, arms and butt; giving you a full body workout. Remember that “tennie weenie, red polka dot bikini”? Well get ready to take it out for the summer and rock that bikini. The moves are fun, repetitive, and easy to follow, which makes it an entertaining work out; not boot camp. The high energy music and the upbeat Latin fusion helps keep the adrenaline pumping. A common statement from Zumba regulars is that it “doesn’t feel like a workout, you’re just having so much fun.”
This dance fitness workout can be modified depending on your fitness level – slower low-impact routine to a faster high-impact routine; therefore, it is accessible to people of any age group.
Zumba incorporates intervals. You’ll be doing slow and steady moves for a few minutes before launching into fast paced sections with quick moves that will get your heart rate up. Even more, since Zumba is influenced by dance, you’ll be toning your muscles as you get your cardiovascular workout. Instead of doing the usual five minutes of each move, do ten minutes of each.
You can also increase the length of time you do your favorite moves and decrease the length of time you do your least favorite moves. The more you change up your intervals, the more confused your body will be. Therefore, it will continue to work hard, even if you’re working out for the same amount of time overall.
This cardio dance aerobics started off as an accident, by Columbian dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez. Zumba fitness has made its mark in 110 countries with 90,000 locations and about 10 million participants signing up every week worldwide. Zumba is clearly making its mark worldwide with new additions like ZumbAtomic, which is a program targeted towards children ages 5 to 12 and Zumba Gold which is designed for the senior end of the pool (ages 60 +).
With the rising popularity of Zumba based workouts, there are classes and instructors all over the world. If you’ve been working from home with a DVD, consider joining a class instead. Working out in a class tends to make you work out harder and longer than on your own. You will also have an instructor to help you with proper form and execute the dance moves correctly. Both these are essential to maximize your workout and avoid injury.
Zumba workouts are a great way to sculpt your body and get a good dose of cardio. You can achieve a full body workout in one session. Three sessions a week are recommended to see full results, but with the fun you’ll find from this style of workout, you’ll likely be booking as many classes as you can. Ask your partner or a friend to join with you for fun and fitness all at the same time. You can sneak in a date night with a partner or just share some girl time with a friend while learning the sexy moves Zumba has to offer.
Since Zumba combines moves from a number of different style and regions around the world, your skill level can be beginner, intermediate or advanced. You will find a move you can do and be encouraged to work on the moves you aren’t familiar with. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance from the instructor, and always practice at home with a partner for tons of fun. Consider taking a Zumba class with your spouse or partner to liven up your time together and get fit at the same time.
Because Zumba is based on various types of dance, you can always learn more of the dance movements and thus enhance your routine. If you like one dance style more than the others, take a class in that style to learn more of the moves you’ll able to master and work into your routine. Add your friends to the class roster, and you have a built-in fun night and workout all in one.
If you’re looking for a workout that doesn’t feel conventional, Zumba is a good choice. The carefree and fun atmosphere will make you feel good about yourself, and the moves will help you to lower your weight and get in shape. Check out Zumba’s official website at www.zumba.com and let the rhythm take you over. Jump on the bandwagon and try this hot new trend.