Have you heard of Zumba?
What is Zumba® Fitness – moving the world to a new beat?
Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That's exactly what the Zumba® programme is all about. It's an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that's moving millions of people toward joy and health.
Zumba® Fitness is the Latin-inspired dance-fitness programme that blends red-hot international music, created by Grammy Award-winning producers, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive.
Since its inception in 2001, the Zumba program has grown to become the world's largest – and most successful – dance-fitness programme with more than 10 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 90,000 locations across more than 110 countries. Classes are appearing everywhere and it is all everybody is talking about in the fitness industry. It has caused a bit of controversy as currently you do not need to have any official teaching qualification to teach Zumba. Most of the instructors I know are either exercise to music or dance trained. I attended a few local classes as a participant and really enjoyed the classes.
Testimony of Zumba:
“I experienced my first Zumba class in 2007 at a fitness convention in Blackpool. I loved the description on the timetable and went along at 8.30am not really knowing what to expect. The class was brilliant!! I didn’t stop smiling all the way through. I thought to myself that I want to do more of this. When I got home from the convention I searched for Instructor training courses. At the time the only place you could train to become an instructor was outside of the UK and all the European courses were fully booked. With one thing and another Zumba seemed to slip away from me as I concentrated on other types of fitness classes. I taught Groove fx for a few years. Groove fx is a dance based exercise class. I absolutely loved teaching it but the classes seemed to dwindle and I moved on as my fitness business diversified. Then Zumba came to the UK and I jumped at the chance to train.”
What to expect in a Zumba class?
A full class with a great atmosphere:
Zumba classes are jam packed all over the UK. I’ve heard of classes of over 100 people!! Clubs and leisure centres have been desperately finding space on their timetables for Zumba classes to keep their members happy.
Mutiple wellbeing benefits:
Is this another fitness fad? Will it fade out? Who knows? Let us enjoy it for as long as it lasts. All the while it is getting people up and moving, who wouldn’t necessarily do so, is doing a great job in my view. Not only does it help increase your:
- fitness levels,
- agility,
- strength and
- co-ordination
- Plus it makes you SMILE. This is vital for the longevity of the classes. Not only is laughing essential to life and health, it is nature’s medicine to stress and depression.
A fitness class to suit anyone of any fitness level or age:
Participants who enjoy exercise are much more likely to continue attending the classes. Who knows, maybe they will move onto other forms of fitness? Zumba classes seem to attract all types of people without any discrimination. Young, old, big, small, it doesn’t matter if you think you can’t dance, just go along and try a class, it is addictive!!
I look forward to seeing all of you at one of my classes very soon.
About the author
Tanith Lee is a health, fitness and lifestyle coach. She runs Body Transformation programmes specifically designed for women who want to lose weight, eat well, tone up and learn to love who they see in the mirror. Tanith's qualifications include REPs (register of exercise professionals) Level 2 Instructor, YMCA Exercise to music & Resistance training, NVQ level 3 in weight management and nutrition, Body Balance instructor, Schwinn indoor cycling instructor, Boxercise Instructor, WABBA Fitness Instructor Qualification (Gym), CYQ Certificate in Instructing Health Related Exercise for Children. She has also attended many workshops on boot camp, life coaching, Nutrition for health and performance, Paul Chek Scientific Core conditioning, First Aid Certification and dance.
www.tanithlee.co.uk
Tanith@tanithlee.co.uk
07941 093170
As part of Lindfield Arts Festival 14 and15 May a fellow Zumba instructor, Esther, is organising a world record attempt for the most dancers in a single Zumba class. For more information go to: http://www.lindfieldartsfestival.com/zumba-world-record/
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