JOIN USWith our increasing predilection towards fizzy drinks and fast food items in the absence of a healthy, balanced diet and sedentary lifestyles, the need to work out or engage in healthy physical activity has become utterly important. While a two-hour workout in a gym or yoga sessions have been the hot favourite of many fitness freaks, a new addition to the fitness regime is Zumba, which has also been widely adopted by fitness experts and trainers.
An experienced choreographer and a certified Zumba instructor, Astha Sharma
says, “I have a lot of my clients requesting me for Zumba classes.”
“It is a fitness training regime based on dance,” she explains. “It initially started with only Latin forms of dance, and is now a classic compilation of many more styles.”
The monotony in gym-workouts tends to make one lose interest in the workout. Similarly, while yoga comes with unbelievable health benefits on the physical and mental fronts, it is slow and steady.
A person who loves working out on the more dynamic and loud fitness forms such as aerobics or the ones in the gym, yoga might not be their cup of tea.
Speaking of the thin line that exists between aerobics and Zumba, one might
confuse the two as being alike.
Kapil Rana, who partners with Sharma, clarifies, “One can practice aerobics in any kind of music. For Zumba on the other hand, one has to make choreography according to the music. Zumba has many different dance forms and categories which have to be catered to, unlike aerobics.”
Breaking all the monotony and pace barriers is Zumba-an amusing combination of dance and workout that is enjoyable in all aspects.
“Unlike gym work outs, yoga or aerobics, one doesn’t need to learn Zumba, one just needs to follow the instructor during the 50-minute workout which involves constant moving,” says Sharma.
A rigorous workout in the gym, or an hour long session of yoga might help one lose around 400 calories, but a session of Zumba can help one burn 500-800 calories per session.
“Zumba is pure fun of 50 minutes, where you just dance and exercise. One doesn’t even realise when those huge amounts of calories are being shed. It is a breakthrough for all the gym freaks who find the gym a dull and boring place,” says Sharma.
Neha Rai, a senior merchandiser at an export house, who has been practising
Zumba for the past three months, is “completely in love with it.”
“Initially, working out on 12 songs at a stretch sounded unbelievable, but now I am
all for more. The instructors here make the entire session an hour full of fun and
enjoyment. As an exercise and dance form, Zumba brings down the stress
levels to nearly negligible. I highly recommend it to all those who have been
working out in the gym without convincing results,” she adds.