Zumba Review - A Fun Exercise Sweeping The World

Zumba is a beautiful combination of music, dance, exercise, and fun. This means that with zumba it is possible to have a beautifully sculpted figure without feeling burdened by the task because, well, the task itself is fun! When doing zumba, the people don’t seem to be exercising but partying to the upbeat music. What, then, is zumba?



Zumba is a fitness program that involves dancing to a combination of Latin and international music. It is a fun exercise that aims to tone the whole body by burning calories with dance moves. Yes, it is still workout but many who have tried it are now hooked.

How it Started

The dance workout began when its creator, Alberto "Beto" Perez, a dancer, choreographer, and aerobics instructor, forgot to bring his music for an aerobics class. Using Latin salsa and merengue music that he had on hand, he improvised on the spot. With this experience, Beto developed zumba which became popular at the fitness facility in Colombia where he was working in the early 1990s.



Zumba was soon popular in the rest of Colombia. Beto decided to bring it to the United States. He began to offer zumba classes in Miami – it became so popular that Beto, along with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion created Zumba Fitness LLC and trademarked the Zumba brand name.

Because the dance steps are very easy to follow, the music upbeat and hypnotic, and the workout effective, it is no wonder that its popularity soon spread across the world.

The Zumba Workout

Zumba is popular because it is fun and effective. It offers a mixture of routines designed for different fitness benefits. To burn fats and sculpt the body, zumba is designed to have interval training sessions that deal with alternating fast and slow rhythms. The traditional zumba is still being taught in a lot of fitness centers and health clubs. However, many variations have been created and developed over the years.

Zumba Gold: This type of workout is especially designed for the older population as older people have different capabilities and exercise needs as the younger generations.

Zumbatomic: This is especially designed for children aged 4 to 12. Safe for children, it uses pop, reggaeton, and hip hop to get this young generation moving.

Aqua Zumba: As its name suggests, this type of zumba is especially designed to be used in an aquatic facility. Ideal for all ages, it incorporates traditional zumba music and moves with traditional aqua fitness disciplines such as water aerobics.



All the other variations target a specific age group or a goal, such as Zumba Toning which involves body-sculpting techniques.

The Music

The music dictates the tempo and the intensity of the session – fast beats call for fast moves while slow beats call for slow moves, all these different intensities ensure that every major muscle group are worked out. Created in Colombia, the dance workout borrows moves from Latin dances such as salsa, flamenco, merengue, samba, tango, and cumbia. It also incorporates belly dancing, hip hop, and bhangra.

Party!

All around the world, zumba parties are being held – an evidence of just how fun and popular this dance workout is. Today, it is not just a workout but a party ingredient. In fact, a lot of people have organized zumba parties for a Girls Night Out, Anniversary and Wedding Parties, Bridal Showers, Summer Festivals, and the list goes on.

Availability

Today, there are several Zumba DVDs featuring different moves to match varying requirements same as those mentioned above. This makes zumba readily available for those who wish to work out at home.

Exercise and body sculpting does not have to boring and repetitive. It can be fun, spontaneous, upbeat, and yet effective in achieving what it aims to achieve – that is zumba!
 

Want to find out more about Zumba Fitness, then visit Darryl Jones's site on how to choose the best Zumba DVDs for your needs.