Zumba Exercise: Have Fun While You Shed Pounds & Tone Muscles

Written on December 10, 2024 - 6:50 am | by EmmyW

If you’re looking to change up your workout routine you may want to check out Zumba exercise. Surely you have heard of Zumba and whether you have or not, if you aren’t sure what it is, you soon will.

Zumba is an amazing exercise program that will get you inspired, up and moving, and help you look forward to working out. Sometimes all we need is a little change and I think switching things up is a good way to beat boredom and bust through plateaus. Here is what you need to know about Zumba.

What is Zumba Exercise?

So many people throughout the country are incorporating Zumba into their workouts and more and more people are continuing to reap the benefits of Zumba. So what keeps everyone coming back and looking forward to exercising? Zumba combines both an upbeat Latin and intense international style of music with resistance and interval training. Because of the type of music being used has both fast and slow tempos, it makes for the perfect compliment to the training sessions. Since Zumba combines both interval and resistance training, this program not only burns fat, but tones your overall body as well.

And just think, Zumba all started because a Columbian aerobic instructor forgot his normal aerobic music for his class and simply subbed his favorite Latin music he had in his backpack and improvised! It is truly amazing on how new programs come about.

How Did Zumba Exercise Become So Popular?

In the late 1990’s, when Peto Berez forgot his aerobic music, he never knew what type of phenomenon was about to take place. After bringing the program to the United States, Beto worked with two other entrepreneurs and broke Zumba out to the entire nation. They established the program, trained instructors, and even launched DVDs so that one could do Zumba at home. Since early 2000, Zumba has globally expanded because of its popularity within the United States, but also because the program strongly appealed to so many people. Now offered in six countries world wide, Zumba has constantly and consistently raised the bar to expand and grow with its followers.

Zumba Today

Since the 1990’s Zumba has evolved into an all round fitness program. Not only does Zumba still incorporate resistance and interval training, it does so now with various routines and choreography to keep their programs fresh and fun. In some classes they even use Zumba toning sticks, which are like weighted maracas. They add that Latin flavor to the class, keep the rhythm of the routine and tone all at the same time. Zumba instructors are trained to teach people of all ages, so everyone can reap the benefits of Zumba. They have even added a special program for kids aged 4-12 years of age. Not only does the program get kids fit, but they also will have a better understanding of class management and discipline. The most recent addition to the Zumba program is Aqua Zumba! They call this the “Pool Party” of all workouts. By adding strengthening water-based exercises to the traditional Zumba program and philosophy, everyone now can benefit from this new way of practicing Zumba.

As you can see, this hypnotic combination of Latin beats with cardiovascular and strength training exercises is highly contagious and continues to grow as one of the most popular exercise programs today.

Where to Find Zumba Exercise Workouts

If Zumba exercise has peaked your interest there are a few different ways you can follow the program. The first way is by taking Zumba classes. These can be found in local gyms, schools, churches and other establishments. Simply use a local directory or online directory and do a search for “Zumba class”.

The second way – which I prefer – is purchasing your own set of Zumba fitness DVDs. I feel much more comfortable working out on my own or with a partner and not so comfortable showing off my lack of skills in front of a crowd. You can find a number of Zumba exercise DVDs at Amazon.

No matter which method you prefer, you’ll quickly find that Zumba is pretty addictive!

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