Zumba

Zumba Dance Classes

Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s.

Zumba incorporates dance and aerobic elements. The choreography encompasses: Hip-Hop, Samba, Salsa, Merengue and Mambo. Squats and lunges are also included. Approximately 15,000,000 people take a weekly Zumba class in over 130,000 locations around the world.

In the mid 1990s, a man called Beto Perez forgot his tape of aerobics music for a session he was about to teach. He went to his car, listened to some music which consisted of non-traditional Salsa and Merengue and improvised a class using this non-traditional aerobics music. After finding a massive success in Colombia, he moved on to the United States in 2001.

Zumba classes are typically about an hour long and are taught by instructors licensed by Zumba Fitness, LLC. The exercises include music with slow and fast rhythms, as well as resistance training.

As far as the music is concerned, it comes from the following dance styles: Cumbia, Salsa, Merengue, Mambo, Flamenco and many more. There are nine different types of classes for different levels of age and exertion.

1: Zumba Gold: For the older population. It is specifically designed to the needs of the elderly and includes the same music as the Zumba fitness party class.

2: Zumba Step: Tones and strengthens glutes and legs with a gravity-defying blend of Zumba routines and step aerobics.

3: Zumba Toning: Targets the abs, thighs, arms, and other muscles throughout the body. Zumba Toning sculpts the body and provides participants with a cardio workout.

4: Aqua Zumba: These 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 creating a fun and effective total body workout.

5: 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.

6 & 7: Zumba Kids and Zumba Kids Jr: These classes are designed for children between the ages of 4 and 12. They have the same dance and music styles but have routines designed specifically for kids.

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

9: Zumba Sentao: A chair workout that focuses on using body weight to strengthen and tone the body.

Because Zumba offers different options, participants of the Zumba programme claim that it is safe for all ages, meaning that anyone from age 4 to 100 can participate in this form of aerobic exercise.

Some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people, to help them build strength, improve motion and posture, and, more importantly, socialise!

“A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise.”

A.A. Milne