My Love Letter to Zumba

I want to talk to you about Zumba!  It's my new-found fitness love.  Jason and I have been converts of this latest fitness craze for nearly 5 months now, and I thought it was about time that I gave it some props on my blog here.  A workout review of sorts.

The video above gives you a basic look inside someone's Zumba class.  For those of you who don't know, Zumba is basically a group fitness class masked as dancing.  All the fancy footwork you saw above targets key muscle groups in your body.  Plus, it's an awesome way to get some cardio in.  60 minutes of shaking your booty will burn some major calories :)



You may be wondering how Zumba got it's start....

In the early 90's, the creator of Zumba forgot his music for an aerobics class he was teaching.  So he took the tapes he had in his backpack, a mix of salsa and meringue music, and improvised a class using dance moves.  After finding success in Colombia, he moved to the US in 2001 where he teamed up with a childhood friend and another man to produce a demo reel.  From there, the rest is history.

Why I Love Zumba

First and foremost, I love Zumba because I don't feel like I'm exercising.  Unlike other group fitness classes I've taken-- I've never once checked the time to see when the madness will stop.  That's exactly how fun it is!

Plus, I have never sweated as hard as I do when I'm in Zumba class either.  It's the combination of the fast moves and the number of bodies in the room, and it's awesome!

And lastly, I love the fact that every-time I'm in that class I feel like I've stepped into an awesome dance movie!  Now, I realize I don't look as amazing as the people in the movies above when I dance-- I still like to think that I'm one of them.   And I love it!

Who Zumba Appeals To

Were you on a dance team growing up?  Maybe you took ballet, hip-hop, jazz or tap?  Were you ever in the high school musical?  No?   Then maybe you were like me and blared the music in your room and made up dance moves pretending you were part of the cast of So You Think You Can Dance.  If any of those applied to you-- then you need to sign up for a Zumba class!  Trust me.

I will tell you, it's a bit intimating, an the fancy Latin footwork can be overwhelming.  BUT-- after a few weeks (about 3) of class, you'll be comfortable with it all.   Trust me.

Have you ever tried a Zumba class?  What did you think?  Did you love it, did you hate it... why or why not?  Would you ever try it again?  Is there another group fitness class you like better?  Please leave your comments below, I'd love to hear what you have to say.