Zumba – The New Route To Impressive Weight Loss

Aruba training session in Aruba.

Aruba training session in Aruba. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A lot of those attempting to lose weight find it hard enough to get off the couch, much more to start a regular fitness routine. The idea of spending an hour at the gym three to four times a week just doesn’t appeal to many. If ever it does, not too many people are able to stick to it for the months or even years to come simply because they didn’t really like doing it in the first place.

The key to finding an exercise routine that suits you is to look for something that you enjoy doing. Sports activities such as biking, tennis and badminton are just a few examples of these activities. You can even go to dance class which a lot of people find quite enjoyable. There are aero-dance classes being offered and they work pretty well to burn those calories and keep the pounds away.

Very recently, much attention has been focused on Zumba dance classes, a new high-intensity workout that combines Latin dance moves with a bit of cardio. An hour of Zumba dancing can get you to burn an amazing 400 or more calories per hour!

What is Zumba?

Once you enroll into a Zumba dance class, the first thing you will notice is its interesting format. Unlike traditional gym workouts and cardio exercises, Zumba will have you on the floor for an entire hour. Don’t get too intimidated though – it’s an entire hour of fun, learning and continuous movements.

Zumba is a dance form that fuses together slow and fast dance moves which will work on every muscle of your body. You will start with simple dance steps as a warm-up and move on to a faster beat to pump up the heart rate. This is when your metabolism revs up and burns the most number of calories which will help you to lose weight.

Movements and steps in a Zumba class often repeat themselves, so you won’t need to worry about memorizing your moves. The instructor often gives you signals or dances in front of the group to guide you along. Zumba dance movements resemble those of popular Latin American dances like the Mambo, Flamenco, Salsa and Merengue.

If you have never danced before, you need not fear signing up for a Zumba dance class. It’s not at all about being a great dancer. Rather, it focuses more on having great fun while getting a good workout.

Cardio Benefits of Zumba

Zumba works primarily to raise your heart rate and optimize your metabolism. The continuous dance moves increases blood flow and provide more oxygen to the heart. The entire workout is cardio-based and Zumba employs some principles of resistance training to allow graceful movements to work on your abs, arms and legs.  During your first few Zumba sessions, you will feel some slight soreness of the arm and leg muscles and that’s very normal. It simply tells you that things are working right.

Zumba Extras

Zumba is more than just burning those calories. It’s also about developing a new level of confidence as you work to achieve your ideal body weight and shape. You can actually become a good dancer with Zumba! Moving your body in ways you never imagined possible can bring out your passion for one of the oldest forms of art expression. Dancing is an art and discovering that your body can perform a whole new range of motions can increase your self-confidence both on and off the dance floor.

About The Author: Sean Byrne is the founder of ItsAboutTreadmills.com. ItsAboutTreadmills.com is A Treadmill Review based site for those that wish to read up on reviews of treadmills. You can read many reviews on the site such as this Sole treadmill device and this popular treadmill machine. Sean’s interests are keeping fit, heath, vegetarianism and spirituality.

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