New groove in aerobics

Great article I just found! I love the description of Zumba :-)

Latin dance moves and spicy music make Zumba the newest fitness trend.

Movement, rhythm and sexiness – adrenaline rushes through the body as dance takes over the feet and the excitement of aerobics are seen in the hips.

Imagine an exotic place where you can work out, feel sexy and forget about daily routines. Escape to Zumba, a new kind of cardio exercise sweeping the nation.

Richard Kislan, the author of several musical theater books, once said, “I move; therefore I am.” By moving, one knows they are alive especially when you feel your blood pumping within your body by the Zumba rhythms infringing upon every inch of your living cells.

It’s always good to workout occasionally to relieve stress and feel better.

According to about.com, “Zumba comes from a Columbian word that means to move fast and have fun,” which is how explorative gym-goers describe the routine. Combining upbeat Latin music with an intense cardiovascular exercise, Zumba is aerobic dancing that is amusing and easy to learn.

Traci Smith, Zumba instructor at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, said the exercise can be described as, “a fusion of all the different styles of Latin dance and a way to forget that you’re working out.”

Zumba incorporates different styles of Latin dance such as salsa, cumbia, merengue, zumba, bachata, flamenco, bellydancing and reggeaton. By integrating an interval workout with fast and slow dance moves and resistance training, Zumba not only sheds the pounds, but sculpts the body. Smith added that students attend the class to get an entirely different experience, rather than an everyday treadmill workout. Men seem to shy away from sensual Latin dances as apparent in classes dominated by ladies.

In fact, Zumba was created by a man named “Beto” Perez in Columbia in 1999 when he forgot the music for his aerobics class. Instead, Perez improvised using the Latin tunes he had in his car.

After exciting reactions and positive feedback from his students, Perez brought Zumba to the U.S. in 2002 after signing an infomercial deal and by 2006 there were over 2000 instructors internationally.

After enormous successes and continued growth, Zumba aligned with fitness organizations such as the Aerobic & Fitness Association of America and the American Council on Exercise, as well as fitness chains like 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym.

So why choose Zumba?

It is the only Latin dance class offered at the SRWC, and when combined with an upbeat atmosphere, it is fun for both you and your friends. Also, in an hour anyone can learn different styles of Latin dance, taking the newly discovered skills to the Latin nightclubs on the Strip.

UNLV student, Danielle Rubinstein, has tried the class before. Rubinstein said she would definitely do it again with friends and tell people about it.

“It is such a great class to have fun and bring friends along,” she said. “At first I was a little hesitant to go because I thought I had to know some of the steps before attending, but my friend convinced me and I realized that at the end of the class anyone can do it—with or without experience.”

Zumba classes are offered at the SRWC every Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the second floor.

“It is definitely a way to break out of a routine,” Smith said. “Your body needs that. Students leave my class feeling great, and in an hour I have [taught] all the Latin dances. It just feels amazing.”

You can dance the calories away and add a little rhythm to your life by trying Zumba.