Many people are asking the question
does zumba work or is it just another overhyped workout program.
What Is Zumba
Zumba is the big dance/aerobic craze at the moment, and is spreading fast worldwide. And its easy to see why! Zumba can best be described as well-known fitness routine influenced by Latin Dance. The phase “Zumba” comes from a Colombian term that means to move swiftly and have fun, which is just how most people describe the routine.
Making use of upbeat Latin tunes along with cardio exercise, Zumba aerobic dancing has massive health benefits, aswell as being enjoyable and simple to understand. Zumba took many years to formulate and is truly unique due to the number of influences and completely original approach to working out mixed with dancing.
Total Body Workout
With weight lifting and resistance training, you’re focusing in on one group of muscles at a time. Even when you do cardio on the treadmill or an exercise bike, you’re mostly working the lower body. Zumba provides a total body toning routine along with a heart pumping aerobic workout. It’s a way to get toned, benefit the heart, and burn calories all at the same time.
Its Upbeat and Fun
Whats the most common reason people stop exercising? Lack of time and boredom. Zumba addresses both of these problems by providing a total body workout in one session and also making exercise more enjoyable and fun. The music is living and you will find the mood is incredibly upbeat in a Zumba class. The dance routines are anything but boring and most people look forward to coming – and seeing results.
Stress Reliever
Zumba dance routines are all about releasing your inhibitions and losing yourself in the movements. Any exercise is good for you, as it releases endorphins which has a positive effect on your mood. With Zumba you can let your worries melt away as you lose yourself in the music and the movements.
Its a form of Interval Training
What makes Zumba so effective is that utilizes — High-Intensity Interval Training — better known as… HIIT. Dancing is what makes it fun — High-Intensity Interval Training — is what makes it SO effective! In brief here is a quick description of this training concept…
“High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprint interval training is an training protocol that is intended to improve performance with short training sessions. HIIT is a form of cardio which is beneficial to burning fat in a short and intense workout. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 15–30 minutes. Most HIIT sessions have a 2:1 ratio in terms of time. For example, for running, a HIIT session may be something as 60 seconds jog, 30 seconds sprint.”
In the Zumba dance workout you lose weight because each song is selected for its particular speed. So in the beginning of the class you will find yourself dancing to a slower pace song. Then as the class progresses the songs played have a faster beat — this is what creates the intensity.
Interval training is one of the best ways to burn calories, and Zumba incorporates teh principles of interval training into every workout by implementing fast and slow sequences to vary the intensity during each workout. An hour spent in a Zumba class can burn upto 800 calories.
It Tones the Abdominals
Many Zumba dance moves are a great way to work the core abdominal muscles – the girdle of muscles that gives the pelvis its strength. This means firmer abdominals and a lower risk of back pain.


