Zumba Fitness: Making Exercise Fun

Is fitness fun for you? Do you find yourself motivated? Do you dread the treadmill? Yes, then maybe your fitness needs to be redefined. Fitness should be fun, so that it lasts. Although diet,nutrition, hydration and a workout plan are crucial, the most important ingredient to fitness is fun.

Getting workout drilled into your daily routine is no doubt challenging, leaving you hung up with a hundred excuses not to do it. When it is fun, you’re more likely to find enjoyment in it. The fun in an exercise distracts you from the pain. A game of Frisbee or intramural soccer makes the exercise more fun. The pain is perceived less when you focus on the fun.

Zumba is a dance fitness program using primarily Latin Dance moves. Based on the principles of resistance training & interval training this workout system leads to increased caloric output and complete body toning. It was created by dancer and choreographer, Alberto “Beto” Perez from Miami in collaboration with two entrepreneurs Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion in 1990s.

The dance moves are based on a variety of latin styles including meringue, pop, reggaeton, cumbia, mambo, salsa, salsa ton, flamenco, rumba, and calypso. Squats and lunges are also included. Both slow and fast rhythms are involved so Zumba enthusiasts receive a variety to beat the boredom and increase agility and muscular involvement.

Why dancing is Popular?

Dancing is fun, so people are more likely to stick with it.
The attention is shifted from duration of workout as one is left enjoying the dance moves.
You’re not in the same spot, doing the exact same thing, thinking about working out and watching the clock, dreading the next five minutes. It really is like a party, all the time.
The abs or core get a fantastic workout.
Zumba is based on the philosophy of HIIT. Interval training is an athletic training system that combines short bursts of intense activity, called intervals, with periods of lower intensity, or rest periods. By alternating the two throughout your workout, your body is forced to exert more effort than it normally would during a steady, continuous workout of moderate intensity. For example you can exchange 45 minutes on a recumbent bike, reading a magazine, with 15 minutes of interval workout.
With dance workouts you’re working the whole body. While training on one sport or doing workouts with weight machines, you’re using the same muscles every time.

Getting Started

Warm up with simple steps at a moderate pace to get your heart beating and blood flowing through your muscles. Remember to start with easy moves, and then go to the advance moves. Once you get used to the basic moves the more advanced moves will become easy. Avoid twisting and jerking motions, as well as high-impact moves, to begin with . Move on even planes of motion, forward, backward and sideways. Do the merenge. Followed by salsa and cumbia performed at a variety of paces to a wide range of salsa music. Get intense with reggaeton a modern type of dance equivalent of hip-hop. Cool down with simple steps at a moderate to slow pace. Stretch your calves and hamstrings with gentle static stretches, and breathe in a few deep, slow breaths to end your Zumba session. Pat yourself on the back for burning plenty of calories while having a whole lot of fun. Don’t forget to put on your dance sneakers or aerobics shoes.

Benefits of Zumba

Improved Cardiovascular Health
Weight Loss
Improved Co-ordination
Improved Mood
Relieve Stress
Release Toxins from the body

Some dance styles are much more strenuous than others. For example, a fast-paced jazz class will burn more calories than a slow and graceful lesson in ballet. Choose a dance class that gets you up and moving!
Que te Mueve. Keep Zumbaring : )

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