ZUMBA is a great form of exercise that feels like it isn’t exercise when you’re doing it. OK, maybe that depends on your instructor. The basic premise of Zumba is to ramp the heartbeat up and down at controlled points to maximize your calorie burn. Zumba does this by incorporating Latin dance steps (such as the Cha Cha, Mambo, and Samba) with Hip Hop dance moves and finally a bit of Belly Dance moves. Your instructor really depends on how much of each style you receive during the class. In my experience, an instructor whose background is aerobic exercise, you will find a more aerobic workout and not so much of a focus on specific dance steps. An instructor who has a dance background will tend to incorporate more specific dance steps into their routines.
Zumba participants generally wear comfortable workout clothes and perhaps a hip scarf. The clothing varies from participant to participant. Some like to wear long sleeves and sweat (or they are new to Zumba), some like to wear shorts and a tank top, some like to get into the grove and wear fancier workout clothes. The hip scarves also vary, from those who prefer to wear a hip scarf that makes noise via jingly coins to those who wear a hip scarf with a bit of sparkle and no jingle. A Zumba class full of participants wearing coin hip scarves increases the energy intensity in the class as you can hear/feel your movements as you go.
The calorie burn one receives from a Zumba class is insane. Depending upon how hard you push yourself, your calorie burn can reach up to 900 calories in a one hour class. To intensify your workout, try things like bringing your legs higher when you jump or tilt your pelvis in when doing an ab workout to get a little extra crunch. If you are just starting out, you may want to test your abilities in the first Zumba class you take. How comfortable are your joints when you jump? Does anything hurt when you move a certain way? Zumba allows the participant to customize their workout to fit their level. By all means, do not injure yourself while working out, but try to increase your intensity each time you participate in a class to maximize your calorie burn. What other form of exercise out there provides fun while getting a great workout? Try out a local Zumba class in your area. Search for them in Google, local gyms and dance studios. Have fun!