I have been going to Zumba classes for the last six months or so and finally feel like I have found my exercise, after years of trying different things and nothing sticking. I thought I would write about Zumba benefits and disadvantages for anyone considering going to their first Zumba class.
The History of Zumba
Zumba is an internationally successful fitness company, with over fourteen million Zumba students worldwide. It was founded in 2001 by Alberto “Beto” Perez and Alberto Perlman, who met while studying at the University of Miami.
Zumba is a dance-based fitness program that incorporates aerobics and dance. This class emphasizes on high-intensity, full body movements. It includes the use of various aerobic and body weight exercises, purported to offer a full range of benefits for those who participate in the program.
What are the Benefits and Disadvantages of Zumba?
One of the pros of Zumba is that it is a very energising activity to do. It helps you work up a sweat and lose some weight. It helps you to tone muscles by working your thighs, abs, glutes, arms and chest while improving your balance and coordination. It also helps you to improve your mood by releasing endorphins in your brain which boosts serotonin levels in the body. The increased serotonin can help reduce anxiety. It really gets your heart rate up – I just checked my stats on my Fitbit for the class I did last night and my heart rate got as high as 180bpm, averaging 150bpm. I also did 7,500 steps over the course of the hour long class. It’s so fun and enjoyable. Zumba is great for people who feel bored with their workouts because it mixes things up. It’s awesome for group classes because you get to meet new people and make friends while getting in shape. I think it’s the perfect workout for people who are self-conscious because everyone has to focus so much on their own movements I can guarantee no one will be looking at you!
The cons of Zumba are that the program requires a lot of space and not everyone has access to a room big enough to do it in (if you are doing an online class). The class is also expensive for some people, although lots of teachers do a free trial class so you can see if you like it without spending any money. Lastly, Zumba can be hard on your knees or ankles if you aren’t used to doing such intense movements like these. You definitely do require a baseline of some level of aerobic fitness, although having said that, some instructors do a ‘Zumba Gold’ class which is lower impact and at a slower pace.
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