Zumba has been winning hearts of many Polish women for years. Its great “career” started in the 90s, when the famous choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez created it under the influence of improvisation. Currently, about 15 million people around the world burn calories during zumba. Why has Zumba become so popular and what benefits does it give us?
Zumba has become more popular than aerobics itself. Many fitness clubs introduced it to the schedule of group classes and it is still very popular. All thanks to its interesting dance routines, which combine many types of dance, as well as exercises taken straight from aerobics. If you cannot currently sign up for a Zumba class, nothing is lost! On the wave of its popularity, there is also a very interesting game called “Zumba Fitness”, available for Play Station 3 and Xbox 360. You can also buy DVDs with recorded choreographies for people with different levels of difficulty.
Zumba is still a huge phenomenon because it combines aerobics and dance. While burning calories, you are sure to have a great time and you won’t even notice when the first hour of exercise has passed. During one session of classes you will burn from 400 to even 600 kcal. Many participants emphasize that they don’t feel the effort, because the good music and engaging choreography absorbs them completely. So this is the perfect exercise for people who do not like the gym, but want to lose weight and get in a good mood.
Zumba is an ideal cardio workout. During the workout, your body is in what is known as a fat burning zone, meaning you are exercising at 60/70% of your maximum heart rate. This not only cranks up your metabolism, but also increases your oxygen uptake. You not only strengthen your muscles, but also your condition. Overweight people or those who cannot maintain a high heart rate for a long time due to health reasons can also benefit from it. During a Zumba workout, the heart rate is kept at a moderate level, and thus there are no sudden spikes in heart rate, which are not advisable in very obese people and those with blood pressure problems. It is also easy to adjust the difficulty to your own ability. Those who are more advanced can increase the pace or add weights on legs and arms for additional load.
It also goes without saying that zumba simply does not get boring. There are many interesting choreographies, which you can also modify yourself. Very encouraging is also the lively and rhythmic music, which will move you to dance.
You do not need any special equipment to do zumba. Sport shoes and a comfortable track suit are enough. Many stores also sell comfortable zumba clothing and shoes for dancing with a higher instep, which makes training easier and more enjoyable.
What is important, during zumba we engage practically all parts of our muscles – legs, arms and trunk work equally. Already after a few weeks of intense exercise you will surely notice the first effects in the form of slimmer legs and a trim waist. Besides, dancing will surely release your feminine power and sex appeal.
Zumba can also be practiced in water! Many swimming pools have introduced aquazumba classes, which will be an ideal alternative for overweight people. Aquazumba is perfect if you want to burn some more calories – an hour of exercise is 800 kcal! In addition, you will feel no exertion and your joints will be less stressed. The water lifts the body, but at the same time gives resistance, the same as in the case of training with weights. Choreographies performed in water, as well as jumps or spins, are safer for the knees. Many women appreciate these classes because they feel very light afterwards. In addition, the resistance of the water makes the figure model much faster.
Photo by Yerson Retamal/Pixabay
