Ditch the workout join the party!

The newest dance craze is Zumba (ZOOM-ba), derived from a Colombian word meaning “to move fast and have fun.” It fuses Latin and other international dances with interval training set to global dance music. Zumba is being taught at over 60,000 locations in 105 countries, has sold millions of DVDs, and more than seven million participants take Zumba classes each week.
According to Zumba instructor Lisa Eskenazi, Zumba specifically tones your core and entire body, all while burning between 400-1000 calories per hour, depending on your energy level. With a formal dance class, the focus is on memorizing choreography and improving your skills as a trained dancer. With Zumba Fitness, it is not the dance steps that are important, but that you keep your heart rate elevated.
“Working out has never been so much fun,” said Lalita K., owner of Creative Yoga Studios in Astoria, which offers Zumba three times a week. “It’s a dynamic, effective cardio workout with dancing that’s also easy to do. There are no ‘levels’ in Zumba. It burns fat, increases flexibility and makes it easy to lose weight.”
Celebrity fitness trainer Alberto “Beto” Perez created Zumba in Colombia in the mid-’90s. One day, he walked into his aerobics class and realized he had forgotten his aerobics music. He grabbed whatever tapes he had in his backpack, which were traditional salsa and merengue music and improvised what went on to become Zumba.
“It doesn’t feel like a workout. You’re dancing to great music and having a good time. It’s basically a party. You don’t have to be the best dancer or have any prior dance experience to do Zumba,” said Marisa Breglio, a Zumba instructor at the Flushing YMCA and Matrix Fitness Center in Astoria.
In addition to Zumba Basic, there’s also Zumba Toning, which blends body sculpting techniques with Zumba moves using weighted, maraca-like Zumba Toning Sticks; Aqua Zumba, a “pool party” of water-based workouts Zumba Gold, which is modified slightly for seniors and adults with physical limitations and Zumbatomic for kids aged 4-12.
Debbie Ann Schneider teaches Zumba at the Ozone Park Jewish Center and says even her 76-year-old mother comes to her classes.
“The hour flies by. You go at your own pace and move to the rhythm of the music, so there’s no wrong way to do Zumba. It’s simple and it works. I’ve had people take my classes and lose 40 lbs, or be able to go off their thyroid or diabetic medication. Just go with the flow and have a good time,” Schneider said.
To find a Zumba class near you, log on to www.zumba.com.