Are you ready to party yourself into shape? That’s exactly what the Zumba® program is all about. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.
Zumba Fitness® is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music and contagious steps to form a “fitness-party” that is downright addictive.
Since its inception in 2001, Zumba Fitness has grown to become the world’s largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program with more than 10 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 90,000 locations across more than 110 countries.
The Zumba Fitness® StorySometimes, great ideas are born from accidents and from these “happy accidents” came a world of good – innovations that changed things. In the mid-‘90s, no one could have predicted the success of the Zumba® program, not even Alberto “Beto” Perez, who created the Zumba program, after what many have called a true “happy accident.”
As a fitness instructor in his native Cali, Colombia, Beto’s life took an unexpected turn one fateful day in the mid-‘90s when he darted off to teach an aerobics class and forgot his traditional aerobics music. He improvised using his own mix of music from tapes he had in his backpack (salsa and merengue music he grew up with).
Spontaneously, he created a new kind of dance-fitness, one that focused on letting the music move you (instead of counting reps over the music). Energy electrified the room; people couldn’t stop smiling.
Zumba is now becoming a trend that is here to stay, but now growing in popularity has led to an increase in Zumba-related injuries, according to an article in the New York Times.
Its broad appeal (and celeb-endorsed status) means that many new Zumba class attendees are inexperienced exercisers. While a typical class involves a mix of aerobics and easy-to-follow dance steps, the beat can get fast, and if you’re not used to the pace, you may find yourself in an incorrect position. This has led to an increase in lower-body injuries in Zumba enthusiasts, like ankle sprains, hamstring and calf injuries, and muscle spasms, according to one physical therapist.
Are you a fan of Zumba? Read on for expert tips for staying injury-free for your next Zumba class.
- Wear the right shoes
Don’t wear your running shoes to Zumba; their thick soles are the opposite of what you need to do fancy side-to-side footwork. Bring another type of thin-soled shoe instead, or invest in a Zumba- or dancing-specific pair. We love these Asics Gel-Naomi 2 shoes, which are designed for dance moves and offer extra cushioning for those jumping moves.
- Find the right class size
One studio owner recommends not going to a class larger than 25. That way, the instructor can always see you, and you’ll have a more personal connection with him or her (which especially helps if you are having trouble with moves or need to modify your workout because of a health condition).
- Know your limits
If a sequence gets too complicated, don’t push yourself to go full force. Take a few minutes to slow down and get back on track; there’ll be plenty of sweat-inducing beats for you to dance to.
- Don’t forget to warm up!
Don’t just go from locker room to rocking moves. Spend a few minutes before class warming up with light cardio and stretching — the physical therapist recommends routine hamstring, calf, and ab stretches after you warm up. Try these hamstring stretches and calf stretches before your next class!
Also important — make sure you’ve got the go ahead to dance the night away. While it’s marketed toward exercise newbies, it’s still a hard, sweat-drenching kind of workout, so check with your doctor before you start a class, and make sure your instructor knows if you have any specific injuries or other health conditions.
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