Zumba – a fast and effective workout

If you are more the social party animal type of person who likes to have a good time, then a Zumba workout may be for you.  Even if you’re more low-keyed, Zumba can be contagious and is one of the best ways to get into an exercise routine. 

Fast-paced, high-energy and upbeat, Zumba has become a popular Latin-inspired workout that many have embraced as their way of getting themselves in better shape.  Zumba emphasizes moving to fast-paced beats of salsa, flamenco and merengue music with no worries of being a great dancer but instead, focusing on having a good time. 

So what exactly does working up a sweat in a 60-minute Zumba class do for you? Here are some ways Zumba can make a huge improvement on your body and health:

·      Full body workout

Zumba is essentially both a dance and fitness class.  Professional dancers always have great bodies and one reason for that is dancing provides a workout for the entire body.  Zumba starts with head and shoulder rolls to loosen up your neck and upper body including footwork to strengthen and stretch calves and ankles.  During a Zumba workout, every muscle and joint will get a substantial workout as nutrient-rich blood surges wakening up every inch of you.

·      Improved coordination

Ever see a dancer who is uncoordinated?  Of course not.  The dance moves incorporated into a Zumba workout will improve your coordination over time which will become very valuable as you grow older.

·      Burns calories and fat

This is one of the biggest reasons to join a Zumba class.  The average person will burn around 500 to 800 calories per class.  It all depends on the intensity in both the pace of music and type of movements as to the maximization of fat-burning benefits.  Zumba likes to go from a fast merengue beat to slowing things down by having classes perform a long, slow set of push-ups on the wall or doing several sets of squats followed by plyometric jumps.  With the variety and diversity of movements, your body is bound to turn into a more effective fat-burning machine.

·      Perfect cardio workout

Your heart will love you for choosing Zumba as your go-to workout.  Reaching your target heart rate can be accomplished so much easier with Zumba than workout routines found on a DVD.  The reason is the choice of songs that play around 145 beats per minute.  The upbeat, fast pace makes it easy and set the mood for moving around quickly making it a perfect aerobic exercise.  These prolonged periods of raising your heart rate above resting will not only strengthen your heart but also build up your endurance and stamina.

·      Reduces stress improving mood

If stress is building up inside of you, let a Zumba workout help you get rid of it.  The upbeat moves of this type of workout activate the mood-improving endorphins releasing stress as you focus on the moves and music.

·      Increases confidence

At first you may feel somewhat inhibited to “let yourself go” getting into the music and moves.  But within a few minutes, dancing away to Zumba will chase away any inhibitions as you simply have a good time getting in shape.  You’ll see improvements in your posture, coordination, your mood and appearance, all which will be a boost to your self-confidence.

·      It’s contagious and is for all ages

The good thing about Zumba is it doesn’t feel like a workout.  It feels fun and enjoyable.  And when workouts are fun, you will be excited looking forward to actually coming back again and again.  This means you are much more likely to stick to the idea of exercise making it a regular healthy routine.  Plus, Zumba classes are offered at all age levels from kids to senior citizens.  Zumba’s emphasis on music and dance makes it a universal language for everyone where each person can jump right into a class with no prior dance experience and just simply follow the instructor.