Zumba Dancing For Exercise

The instructor's iPod plugs in, and the sound system begins to churn out Latin, Caribbean, hiphop and bhangra rhythms or a custom mash-up of all four. She begins to swing her arms and rows of class participants copy her merengue or cumbia, striding, jumping and wiggling to get the blood warmed up. You slam your feet in the reggaeton stomp and do belly-dancer hip shakes. Maybe two halves of the class show off their moves in a battle for Zumba Fitness supremacy to Brazil's superhit "Danca Do Creu." It's dancing for exercise on steroids.

Cardiovascular Effects

Zumba Fitness involves prolonged, rhythmic use of the large muscles of the legs, core and arms, thus meeting the definition of aerobic activity that challenges the heart, lungs and circulatory system, writes Zumba Fitness founder Beto Perez in "Zumba: Ditch the Workout, Join the Party: The Zumba Weight-Loss Program." Classes typically last an hour, with 2- and 3-hour Zumbathons available if you want to dance until you drop.

Calorie Burn

Zumba Fitness, like other forms of dance, raises your heartbeat to 120 to 160 beats per minute, Perez writes. You sweat and burn calories, estimated at 300 to 800 per hour depending on how vigorously you dance. The Zumba Fitness founder's book notes reports of weight loss of 10 to 100 lbs. from participating in Zumba Fitness. Inherent in the songs distributed to licensed instructors via the Zumba Information Network, which provides monthly music DVDs with music and choreography, are changes of pace that lead to de facto interval training. Short bursts of intense activity interspersed with slower passages that allow for recovery are faithful to the concept of interval training, which provides a greater calorie burn within the class time frame.

Muscular Conditioning

Zumba Fitness works most muscles from head to toe. Instructors may choreograph arm swings that resemble biceps curls and triceps presses or even incorporate Zumba Fitness sticks, 1-lb. weights that resemble maracas, as part of Zumba Toning classes. Lower-body work includes challenges to the inner and outer thighs, especially on crossover steps. Choreography may sneak in squats, lunges, crunches and leg lifts. Hip adductors and quadriceps feel the effects of class, especially after jumps and hops. A 5-minute or longer warm-up kicks off the class, and the cool-down song typically includes stretching of the arm muscles, quads, calves, hamstrings, neck, back and obliques.

Modes

Options for Zumba Fitness dance exercise include attending classes or following along to the Zumba Fitness "Total Body Transformation" DVD set, with six routines on four disks. Perez's book also provides descriptions of the steps. Class locations can be found by using the Zumba Fitness website's Find a Class feature. Class instructors attempt to assemble captivating playlists to boost adherence, a fitness term referring to whether a gym goer sticks with an exercise plan. "You don't have to torture yourself to be fit," Zumba Fitness chief executive Alberto Perez told the Associated Press. "It's almost like hiding medicine inside a piece of candy."