Zumba Fitness

Dance Your Way to a Sculpted Body

by Pragya Pradhan

Imagine that you’ll soon celebrate a perfect wedding on a Mexican beach. You have a beautiful silk dress, a striking sunset and fresh salty air—but you also have a few extra pounds to shed. This may bring a frown to your face, but if you choose a fun workout to help you shape up, you'll be smiling when the big day arrives. “I lost 25 pounds and was happier than ever on my wedding day!” says Evelyn Hernandez, a certified Zumba Fitness instructor at the Ambiant Dance Studio in Scottsdale who is grateful she found a dynamic exercise program.

Finding an excuse not to workout is easy, especially when you have career, family and social obligations. This is why it's important to opt for a program you'll enjoy. The fun aerobics offered by Zumba Fitness will keep you fit with hip-swaying moves and catchy Latin music. With a workout this dynamic, you might find yourself loving exercise as you never did before.

Trendy Technique
What began as a chance discovery by “Beto” Perez at his Colombian dance studio has now taken off to become a hot workout program practiced in over 30 countries. Back in Colombia, Perez, founder of Zumba Fitness, had forgotten his aerobics music one day when he walked in to teach his aerobics class. With no other alternative, he grabbed Latin salsa tapes from his car and revised his aerobic steps to keep time with the non-traditional aerobics music. This was a challenge, but it brought about the Zumba Fitness revolution.

After his success in Colombia, the Zumba program caught on in the U.S.—especially in Arizona— with an ever-increasing demand for certified instructors. “Before I knew it, I was going to three to five classes per week and loving every minute of it, so much so that I decided to become a certified Zumba Fitness instructor,” says Hernandez.

Heart Health
Zumba Fitness is a cardio workout that has you dancing the calories away to Latin and international rhythms such as merengue, salsa, cumbia, reggaeton, belly-dancing and more. Each song is choreographed to have your blood flowing and your heart pumping. While you dance to variations in the tune, your heart rate drops and rises steadily, which means your body is burning those calories for an entire hour.

A class may offer interval training, which is a period of high-intensity work followed by low-intensity work. This is good for weight loss as well as cardiovascular activity. “You’re having such a great time dancing your heart out that you don’t even realize you’re exercising,” says Hernandez, “and before you know it, the hour is over, you’re drenched with sweat, and you walk away feeling fantastic.” Most people would agree that this is much better than the dull routine of walking on a treadmill.

Sizzling Steps
You may feel as though you’re tapping to a “Dancing with the Stars” tune with Zumba’s exotic combinations and rhythms that compel you to move your body. “You can’t go wrong!” says Hernandez. The moves are designed to be followed easily by men or women of all ages. Some steps have easier variations so that you can modify a move to suit your body while still being a part of the “fitness party,” a term coined by Zumba Fitness.

Today, the program is offered at gyms, dance studios, YMCAs and community centers all over the Valley. Single classes range between $10 to $15 depending on your location. Select comfortable clothing and shoes with less traction that will allow you to move. Hernandez says, many are hooked on Zumba Fitness because it is fun and easy to do. What more could one want in a workout?

Whether you'll be walking down a sandy aisle in your wedding gown or getting in shape for summer, Zumba Fitness will tone that body with the energy it brings. So ditch the routine, and join the party!

Pragya Pradhan is an Editorial Intern for Phoenix Woman.

Ambiant Dance
480.422.6840
www.zumba.com