The many benefits of Zumba: Weight loss, healthy heart, stress-reliever

Considered a great alternative to traditional fitness programmes, Zumba motivates you to get up and get moving with its signature Latin music beats. If you are wondering what it offers, this helps your heartbeat go up and allows you to shed weight easily. Besides, it does wonders for your physical toning, boosts heart health, relieves stress and improves cognitive skills.

Beto Perez, creator of Zumba, talks about how Zumba benefits millions of people across the world. Perez recently inaugurated Fitex India 2018 in Greater Noida.

What got you to combine fitness and dance together?
The creation of Zumba was a happy accident. I was working as an aerobics instructor and one day forgot my music, so I had to use some tapes of Latin tunes that I had in my car. I danced the classic Latin steps but added fitness moves and the class loved it!

What’s interesting about Zumba? How does it actually help one to get fit?

The music is a key aspect of Zumba. We spend a lot of time and energy either creating or selecting great music for our instructors. When people in the class enjoy the music, they lose themselves in it, forget they are exercising and are able to put in greater effort, leading to quicker results.

Is the selection of songs important in Zumba? What’s its relation to health?
Selection of songs is critical to a Zumba class. We provide guidelines for licensed instructors on how to build a class that increases and decreases in intensity to deliver optimum results. It is not just a case of picking a Latin playlist and starting to dance. There are some key principles to the class that licensed instructors learn when they take a Zumba instructor training.



Does Zumba have the ability to prevent lifestyle diseases?
Exercise is the best medicine and is proven to reduce the likelihood of diseases. With Zumba, many people report improvement in mood also, which is less tangible and measurable but clearly contributes to quality of life. Zumba is an effective way to burn fat and lose weight, which in turn reduces strain on the heart and the joints.

What should one keep in mind while doing Zumba?
The best advice here is to keep nothing in mind! Watch your instructor and listen to the music and allow yourself to become immersed in the experience.

Can everyone do Zumba regardless of age? If Zumba has any limitations, what are they?
There are no age limitations — everyone can practise Zumba. We find classes with three different generations, each person making the amount of effort that they feel comfortable with. For older or less-conditioned individuals, just spending an hour moving is of real benefit.

How should a person who does Zumba take care of his/her diet?
Dietary advice for Zumba participants is the same as for anyone — just use common sense. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid processed and highly sugary foods and try to manage portion size. We find that there is a virtuous circle when it comes to Zumba and diet — the more someone attends classes, the more they start to care about their diet. It is important in my opinion to try to change dietary habits in a steady sustainable way rather than adopt a ‘crash’ diet where the effects will probably be reversed as soon as you stop.

How does Zumba stand out from other forms of exercise?
Zumba stands out from many other forms of exercise because it is enjoyable. People look forward to their class and enjoy the experience.