The classes are offered in fitness studios.Īt home: Yes. Zumba emphasizes moving to the music and having fun regardless of your fitness level.
You’ll need to sign up for classes through a fitness center or buy Zumba DVDs to follow the choreographed steps. The classes are high-energy and involve jumping, bouncing, and other high-impact moves. Traditional Zumba workouts emphasize strengthening the core, while Zumba Toning and Zumba Step workouts incorporate weights to build muscles in the arms, legs, and glutes. The high-and low-intensity intervals make Zumba an excellent cardio workout. The dance moves were designed to enhance flexibility.Īerobic: Yes. Though the workout involves your whole body, it's not focused on your back muscles. You’ll feel the burn in your buns while you move to the beat.īack: No. The jumps and lunges that are parts of the choreographed movements help work the quads and hamstrings. Specialized classes like Zumba Toning use weights to help strengthen and tone the arms. Traditional Zumba classes do not target the arms. Many of the dance steps used in the routines emphasize the hips and midsection to help strengthen the core.Īrms: No. The classes move between high- and low-intensity dance moves designed to get your heart rate up and boost cardio endurance. You’ll get a great cardio workout that melts fat, strengthens your core, and improves flexibility. Working up a sweat in the 60-minute classes burns an average of 369 calories - more than cardio kickboxing or step aerobics. There are several different kinds of Zumba classes, from Aqua Zumba workouts to classes like Zumba Toning that incorporate weights for additional calorie burning and strength training. With the tag line, “Ditch the Workout, Join the Party,” the classes emphasize moving to the music and having a good time, no rhythm required. You don’t need to be a great dancer to feel welcome in a Zumba class. The high-energy classes are set to upbeat music and feature choreographed dance numbers that you might see in a nightclub. The Latin-inspired dance workout is one of the most popular group exercise classes in the world. Grooving to the beats of salsa, flamenco, and merengue music feels more like a dance party than a workout, which is exactly what makes Zumba so popular.