Zumb A Latin American Exercise - 1246 Words

How was Zumba? Zumba is a Latin American exercise that was created in the mid-90s by a Colombian fitness instructor named Alberto Beto Perez. The fabrication of Zumba was accidental. It was stated that Perez arrived to teach his fitness class one day, and forgot his traditional aerobics music. So he used his Latin music that was available at the time and substituted it for that class (Murphy 2015). This improvised class was a hit to his students. Now Zumba is taught in gyms and studios all over the world. Not only is Zumba upbeat with Latin American music, but it also provides many health benefits. It is said that a 150-pound person can burn 400 to 600 calories per hour-long class if he or she keeps up with the pace (Weil 2012). In addition to the calorie-burning and aerobic workout, dance in general can improve balance and coordination, and calls upon a person to use different muscles at varying speeds. Zumba can also help improve a person’s mental health since Zumba requires a person to l earn and memorize the steps, twirls, and kicks of a dance routine (Weil 2012). Zumba is a preferred alternative, especially for people who do not have confidence to go run on the treadmill, or lift weights for two plus hours. With all the excitement around Zumba, I decided to try Zumba and see if I would receive a successful workout. Prior to attending Zumba I did not know what to expect. I wasn’t sure what type of shoes to wear, or if I was supposed to stretch before attending