Zumba! Latin dance class still growing in popularity

She followed her favorite Zumba instructor around Bradenton for classes in venues such as the YMCA and other community centers.

Zumba is a trademark blend of dance-fitness exercise that combines Latin-style dance steps, fitness moves and exhilarating international music. Zumba creators call the classes a “fitness party.”

“In Zumba, they say ‘Come in and enjoy the party.’ You don’t feel like you are working out and that is the key,” said Aguirre.

“It keeps you happy because the music keeps you happy.”

Her devotion to Zumba eventually gave her an achievement to celebrate: She had salsa-ed, cha-cha-cha-ed her way to a weight loss of 83 pounds.

Only a few months after starting Zumba, Aguirre became an instructor. Today, she has her own following at places such as Shapes Fitness for Women on Cortez Road and YMCA branches in Lakewood Ranch and Parrish. She teaches 25 classes a week.

Since Zumba’s creation in 2001, the popular dance-fitness exercise has spread to 125 countries, according to the Zumba website. An estimated 12 million people take Zumba classes every week.

Still hot in 2012

Meanwhile, Zumba fever seems to be getting even hotter. Last October, the American College of Sports Medicine ranked it No. 9 in the top fitness trends to expect in 2012. The survey is created annually through polling more than 2,000 fitness instructors; the ranking for 2012 was the first where Zumba edged into the Top 10.

In Manatee, the “high season of Zumba” begins this month, said Esther Forestandi, a popular Zumba instructor who teaches at the Anna Maria Island Health and Fitness Center, and other local fitness and community centers.

Classes swell as winter visitors return to Bradenton and their favorite Zumba spots, she said.

Forestandi estimates the average age range of her students is between 45 and 75. Her oldest was an 89-year-old snowbird. Youngest: a 4-year-old and “you should have seen him dance!”

“The greatest benefit of Zumba is how you relax and have fun,” said Forestandi.

“People come in and can forget about their problems. They’re having a little fun … and they’re making noise, all kinds of noises.”

Students have told her the classes are their therapy, where they can decompress.

“It’s really nice for me. People have come up to me and said ‘You don’t know what it’s meant to me (to take classes).’ One woman was taking care of her mom and she had a lot of stress from being a caregiver. She would leave class saying she felt so good,’’ said Forestandi.

It will make you sweat

An aerobic interval-type workout, Zumba includes a warm-up and cool-down. As the class progresses, students can pick up the pace or slow it down, depending on how they want to push themselves. Fitness moves such as bicep curls are blended into the routine to add toning.

Like other aerobic exercise, Zumba is good for the cardiovascular system and designed to make you sweat.

“Everyone wants to sweat!” said Aguirre about her students.

For the people with two left feet, not to worry. Zumba is dance-exercise but it’s OK to not follow all the steps when you’re learning. It may feel a little frustrating, but just move side to side until you can catch back up, said Aguirre.

Other types of Zumba

In addition to basic Zumba, there are other forms that are specific to special needs or preferences. Aguirre teaches Aqua Zumba at Shapes for people who want a pool workout that is “salsa in the water” and gentler on joints.

She leads Zumba Gold classes – a slower Zumba-style for older adults – at senior community centers.

There also is circuit Zumba, such as the classes at Curves on Manatee Avenue that add Zumba moves to Curves’ 30-minute circuit routine.

To find a Zumba class in the Manatee County area, go to the Zumba website, www.zumba.com.

One thing to know: Don’t wear athletic shoes with treaded soles to class. They aren’t good for the side-to-side and front-to-back dance steps; wearing them means you won’t be able to slide your feet. Cross-training shoes or aerobic dance shoes are recommended.

Susan Hemmingway, Herald health correspondent, can be reached at shemmingway@hotmail.com.

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Posted in 2012 top zumba dance , 2012 zumba , latin zumba , zumba , zumba dance , zumba fitness

Zumba fad dances onto campus

The Zumba workout dance craze has expanded to more than 12 million people around the world and hundreds of Ohio State students are dancing to the beat.

The Latin-inspired group fitness class has found a home at the RPAC. Zumba classes are offered throughout the year and Amanda Crichton, a Group Fitness Instructor at the RPAC, said her classes have been filled since she started teaching Zumba.

"Last fall I was shocked (by how many people were in the class) but now I am used to it," Crichton said.

Zumba has grown in popularity since it first became a business in 2001. However, according to zumba.com, the Latin-infused dance workout was born out of pure accident.

Alberto "Beto" Perez usually taught a traditional aerobics class in his native country of Colombia but when Perez forgot his usual workout music one day, he decided to improvise with his own mix tapes of salsa and merengue music. The class turned out to be a success and has grown into what is now called the Zumba Fitness Party.

Zumba has become one of the most popular fitness classes since it started, said Scott Holmes, the Fitness and Services Program Coordinator.

Each year, group fitness classes are offered free in the first week of the quarter and during finals week. This quarter, 211 people attended the Zumba class in that first week, Holmes said. This is higher than the average 100 people that the free classes usually attract.

One of the students to attend a free session is Ashley Ingram, a first-year in animal science. Ingram said although it was her first time, she enjoyed the experience.

"I don't like exercising, but I couldn't really tell I was exercising," Ingram said.

Zumba has become exceedingly popular in OSU because it is something students can do together, Crichton said.

"You can go with your friends and get the same workout and have a good time," Crichton said.

Ingram said one of her favorite parts of Zumba was that she could do it with her friends.

Another benefit of Zumba is that it is a much more interactive workout than going to the gym, Crichton said.

"It's more than running on the treadmill, you are going to dance," Crichton said. "A girl I had in my class last week said she burned 600 calories."

According to zumba.com, the amount of calories a person can burn doing a Zumba workout varies based on body type, but it is possible to burn hundreds of calories in a class.

In each Zumba class, there are 10 to 12 songs that play to keep the workout going. With short breaks in between, people are able to continually move their body to some of today's most popular pop and Latin songs.

"A lot of people enjoy the music," Holmes said.

Many students ask for certain songs to be used and even though the instructor cannot use every song, it gives students a chance to become more involved, Holmes said.

However, dance-centered exercises do not appeal to all OSU students.

Brittany Baudo, a fourth-year in finance, said she has heard of Zumba from friends and organizations, but she doesn't think following the choreographed Zumba dance moves replaces the gym.

"If you are going to the gym, you get to work at your own pace... you can do whatever you want," Baudo said.

Zumba is centered on certain dance moves and is known for its intense activity during the hour-long class time period.

But some students love the energy.

"I liked it because it was something new, upbeat, energetic, the teacher was great," Ingram said.

Either way, Baudo said she is not surprised by the popularity Zumba has received.

"It's a dance workout. Those are really popular now," Baudo said.

Dance workouts have become increasingly popular not only within OSU but also in the United States. According to zumba.com, Zumba has expanded to more than 110,000 locations and 125 countries.

The popularity of Zumba is something that Holmes said he knew would happen after a similar class featuring Latin dance music received good feedback from students.

"When we started doing this, we knew there was going to be a good response," Holmes said.

Ingram said she agrees with Holmes that the popularity of Zumba is something that is not surprising.

"I didn't know about it and I am glad that I got involved," Ingram said. "It is something I prefer over working out."

Here at OSU, there are many trainers and classes that occur throughout the quarter. To participate in classes in weeks other than the free weeks, students must have a pass to enter a Zumba class. An all-inclusive pass, which is good for any group fitness class at the RPAC, is $50 per quarter, but half-quarter and single session passes can be purchased for $30 and $5 respectively. Passes can be purchased at the RPAC Welcome Center.

Source: Stephanie Kariuki

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Posted in 2011 top zumba dance , Dance workouts , dance zumba , latin dance , salsa dance , salsa dancing , salsacircuit , zumba , zumba dance fitness , zumba workout , zumba worldwide

If you can move, you can zumba

What is it?

Zumba, as any self-respecting Zumba instructor will tell you, is all about the party. Choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez created the Latin-inspired workout in the '90s.

It combines hip-hop, Latin dance, aerobics, salsa and belly dancing and has become a phenomenon around the world.

The experience
As someone who has never quite mastered the art of shimmying, I am not entirely sure Zumba is for me. The instructor soon puts me at ease though; anything goes, she says, it's all about the party and having a good time. It's darn near impossible to not have fun when the music to accompany our shimmies, booty rolls and grapevines is so pleasingly cheesy.

The steps are mostly quite simple aerobics moves with a bit of jazzing up. I do have to concentrate intently to get trickier footwork right. I soon discover the best thing about Zumba is that if you get lost you can just waggle your hips and nobody will blink an eye.

My favourite part is the freestyle song where everybody can pull out their best moves. I'm also a bit in love with the gentleman in the skin-tight orange onesie who looks like he is having the best time of his life. The girls outnumber the blokes but everybody is enjoying themselves.

Worth it? RATING: 4.5/5
I have a stitch and may have over body-popped as there is a twinge in my side but I've had so much fun it doesn't matter. The instructor's enthusiasm is infectious and I leave feeling much happier.

That night I demonstrate what I learnt to my partner and I don't care that he is more amused than dazzled by my sizzling new moves.

Source Annie Stevens

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Posted in 2011 best zumba , Alberto Beto Perez , latin dance , salsa circuit , salsa dance , zumba , zumba dance

Dance Fitness Classes Continue in Popularity at Health Clubs

With the popularity of Zumba, Batuka and dance classes developed by high-profile choreographers and dancers, such as Louis Van Amstel’s LaBlast classes for Crunch, pre-choreographed dance-based programs continue to offer group fitness options for health club operators.

Last November, in its list of top 10 fitness trends for 2011, the American Council on Exercise said that dance classes, which have been gaining popularity for years, would continue to be a major draw at health clubs. That popularity might be the result of the recent abundance of dance-related TV shows, such as FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” says Juliane Arney, owner of Arney Fitness Consulting and a dance instructor and choreographer who has developed classes for 24 Hour Fitness and Crunch.

Amstel, who has danced or choreographed on both of those programs, developed LaBlast, his own cardio dance fitness program for Crunch, two years ago. The hour-long class is offered at different levels, which allows beginners to learn dance skills and coordination and to burn calories. Participants can progress to more difficult dance levels as they improve and want a challenge. LaBlast is Crunch’s most popular dance class and will soon be offered at other facilities owned by New Evolution Ventures, Crunch’s parent company.

“It’s dance fitness based on all different dance styles, every genre of music—cha cha, salsa, jive. All the dances that people see on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ I have in the LaBlast program,” Amstel says.

The variety and the fun of the program prevent participants from getting bored.

“It is a fun way of still getting the health benefits and the workout benefits without hitting the wall. It’s the diversity of movement to your favorite music,” says Amstel, who describes LaBlast as a workout in disguise.

He credits the program’s success to taking the intimidation factor out of dancing by keeping routines simple and using encouraging instructors that have a background in both fitness and dance.

“Sometimes I feel that fitness instructors in general lose their patience,” Amstel says. ”And it’s the patience that’s really the key for people who think they can’t get through it.”

Arney agrees that instructors play a vital role in making dance fitness classes a success.

“Dance programming, even more so than anything else, is instructor based,” says Arney. “If you’re going to put dance or Zumba on your schedule and it hits hard, you have to think about what you’re going to channel those people into next. Zumba is bringing thousands of new consumers and instructors into the group fitness market, but what are we going to do with them when they’re tired of Zumba?”

She says that Batuka, a program that debuted last year at IHRSA’s show, could be the next big thing in dance fitness. The music is produced specifically for the program by Grammy Award-winning writer and producer Kike Santander, which eliminates the risk of participants getting sick of hearing the same music in class that they hear on the radio.

Regardless of where dance fitness goes in the future, its strong appeal to the female demographic and continuing popularity make it a strong investment in any facility.

“I think the cool part about dance workouts, especially right now with TV and popular culture, is that they’re like a gateway drug,” says Arney. “They are the things that get a lot of people into exercising in the first place. That’s such a huge value because simple, fun dance classes like Zumba are an entry point for a whole population that hasn’t been moving before. Dance might be your first point of entry, but let’s not stop there.”

Source Kelsey Cipolla

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Posted in Batuka , dancing with the stars 2011 , Health Clubs , Kike Santander , latin dance , salsa dance , zumba

Event promotes dance for better health, fitness

SEGUIN — Amanda Gold wants Seguin to see dance in a whole new light.

Gold, owner of Suzi Hughson School of Dance, said moving to music has long been considered an art form, but people are also beginning to recognize dance’s other benefits.

“If people knew how intense dance is, they would see how athletic it is in nature,” she said. “Last year’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ (SYTYCD) winner was sponsored by Gatorade, and it was the first time that dance was recognized as a sport.”

Moving to the beat is a fun way to exercise, Gold said.

“Dancing is a great way to get fit and get healthy,” Gold said. “You can dance anywhere. I dance in the store while I am waiting in line to check out.”

In an effort to help promote the activity, SYTYCD started Dance 4 Your Life with sponsorships from the Dizzy Feet Foundation and the Larry King Cardiac Foundation.

Dance 4 Your Life is an event that will be going on simultaneously across the country at all of the Six Flags locations on July 30.

“Normally, you would be able to go to Six Flags and take part,” she said. “But this year, we decided to have one in town on the same day. We’re going to do the same dances that you would do at Fiesta Texas.”

Gold will be leading a dance at the Central Park bandstand that was choreographed by Mary Murphy, SYTYCD judge.

“The one that we will be doing is a salsa, which anybody that is doing Zumba would get a kick out of,” Gold said. “We might be able to demonstrate another dance that might be fun and that one is kind of hip-hop based.”

Gold felt that offering the gathering a little closer to home opened the event for more people.

“I liked the idea and it sounded fun,” she said. “What better way to promote getting fit and getting up off the couch. If I can be out there doing this at 30 weeks pregnant, anybody can do it.”

The dancing will be from 9-11 a.m. and participants will receive a D4YL bracelet.

The event is free and open to all ages.

“You don’t have to be a student of dance, a professional dancer or even an athletic person. It is open to anybody, any age,” Gold said.

For more information on Dance 4 Your Life go to fox.com/dance.

Source Felicia Frazar

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Posted in dance for your life , dance steps , dancing salsa , Larry King , Larry King foundaion , latin dance , salsa dance steps , zumba

Which workout should you pick?

With dozens of new fitness studios opening in Indian cities, you now have access to a wide range of workouts to stay fit, well beyond the regular gyms. Life's in a rut?

Try some salsa and kickboxing to take care of that extra energy. Want to shed some kilos? Start spinning and weight training. Want to work on flexibility and core? How about some yoga and zumba? The choices are endless. Here are 10 easily available workouts that you can choose from today...and why they might be perfect for you!

Zumba: An hour of high intensity zumba can burn 400 to 600 calories, while strengthening your core and engaging your muscles. Add dance like movements, fun tracks to move to and you've got yourself a workout that you'll enjoy. Zumba comprised of a set of high tempo aerobic and bodyweight exercises, and has progressively difficult stages for those of you who believe in truly pushing yourself to achieve fitness results.

Zumba fact: Make sure that you progress in movements and engagement to avoid hitting an early plateau.

Kickboxing: If you're looking for a great fat burning and body toning workout that keeps you coming back, then kickboxing is the workout for you. Kickboxing burns approximately 800-900 calories per hour and builds speed, agility, strength and good form through some basic moves. Moves are combined and intensified to form workout routines that could even involve sparring, if you're up for it. Kickboxing is creating waves in most Indian cities as the new get-fit-now workout routine.

Kickboxing fact: Be prepared to sweat. A lot. Remember - the slower you move, the lesser you workout and the fewer the calories burnt per hour.

Spinning: Every second gym or fitness studio offers group-spinning classes with dedicated instructors. Several outdoor cyclists opt for spinning in the monsoon or winter months as a decent alternative to outdoor cycling workouts. Choose spinning workouts if you're looking to build stamina and resistance.

Spinning fact: Be prepared for a room full of sweaty folks with loud music (sometimes even disco lights!) and an instructor with a headset. To get the most out of a spinning workout – pay attention to what the instructor says.

Cycling workouts: If it's the real thing you want, then you don't even need a gym to start sweating it out on a cycle. Try urban cycling workouts. If biking through the city makes you feel nervous, simply go for early morning rides when the streets are empty and the air is fresh. An hour of moderate cycling can burn anything from 400 to 800 calories an hour, giving you a well-rounded workout that'll grow on you as you get used to cycling through your city's streets.

Cycling fact: Invest in a good bicycle and protective gear. Time yourself, and experiment with uphill and downhill cycling – yes, your city can offer you all this and more.

Skipping workouts: If you can jump rope for 10 minutes, then the skipping workouts might help solve your dilemma of how to clock daily workouts. Skipping as a cardio activity can easily be alternated with bodyweight exercises for a home workout. Since it's quite taxing, skipping burns approx. 400-500 calories an hour. Of course, skipping for an hour is near impossible for us mortal souls, but you can target 15 minute sessions spread through the day for similar results.

Skipping fact: Target a set number of revolutions. Buy a skipping rope with an in-built counter, and set goals of 100, 200, 300, or 500 revolutions in the shortest time.

Dancing workouts: With studios offering everything from street jazz to salsa and bollywood bhangra these days, Dancing is increasingly available to us city folk. Dancing engages your core, builds on your muscle range of motion through functional moves and keeps your heart pumping for that cardiovascular goodness. Although dancing workouts start out as low intensity, as you progress, they get tougher and therefore burn more calories eventually.

Dancing fact: Be sure to invest in a good pair of dancing shoes, and remember – the key is progression, so work hard to move up to higher levels.

Yoga: While yoga may not aid quick weight loss in its slower forms, it works wonders for joint flexibility, core strength and muscle tone. Forms like Iyengar yoga and Power yoga have made their presence felt in several new fitness studios that promise body-sculpting results as well. With 250-350 calories burnt per hour, yoga is a great way to stay in shape for those looking to maintain rather than lose. All you need is a yoga teacher and a yoga mat.

Yoga fact: Yoga also helps improve posture and breathing technique, which helps us fight daily stress more effectively.

Aerobics: Simple aerobic classes focus entirely on cardiovascular exercise. This can be as intensive as you want it to be. From 300 to 600 calories burnt per hour, aerobics depends on quick movements to build momentum and encourage weight loss as a by-product. A great way to avoid lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension, aerobics class are now increasingly adding elements of resistance and strength to take their workouts further.

Aerobics fact: Simply practicing the same aerobics movements everyday isn't enough. Progression in intensity is key to reaping maximum benefits from aerobic activity.

Weight training: Weight training is a highly effective method to stay fit well into your middle to older years. As we age, our body's metabolic rate decreases. Through weight training, we build more muscle and evade slow metabolism since muscle burns calories more efficiently. Choose between weight training at the gym, or buying weights and following a home workout, but weight training is one of the best practices for healthy weight management, and immunity boosting.

Weight training fact: The right diet, rich in essential food groups is essential for a weight-training programme. You need to nourish your body to follow stringent weight training workouts. Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com.

Source Sasha Gusain

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Posted in calories , diet , exercises , kickboxing , Salsa , stress , top 2011 best workout , workouts , zumba

Zumba Your Way To Fitness

danzon

If you thought you needed a partner to conquer the moves of Latin Dancing you can think again. Thanks to the international dance fitness craze Zumba, Latin Dancing is reaching new heights and is more popular and accessible than ever.

The origins of Zumba are seemingly humble considering its current world domination, which shows no sign of slowing any time soon!

Colombian born creator Alberto (Beto) Perez is an accomplished dance and fitness teacher who arrived one day to teach an aerobics class, but had left at home his aerobics music. He was forced to use a favourite Latin C.D instead and the class was so popular Zumba was born, and the rest is history.

Whether you do it at home with your personal DVD set or in a class, Zumba is designed for people to dance up a sweat to traditional and modern Latin rhythms. The classes combine well known Latin steps of the Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia and Samba and are all performed partner free.

The moves are broken down and easy to follow, so being a dancer or even well co-ordinated is definitely not a prerequisite. Zumba is designed to put a smile on your face, get your body moving and burn calories—all at the same time!

Zumba is literally everywhere. Turn on your TV morning or night and don’t be surprised if you find an energetic and engaging infomercial showing just why everyone is hyped about Zumba. The dance trend has even reached the stars. Latin singing icon Shakira was so impressed with the dance style she hired Beto to choreograph one of her music video clips.

Take a look at your local health & fitness class timetable or drive past a nearby hall and you are sure to find a Zumba class full of hip shaking Latin grooving participants.

The next step is to join in and shimmy your self straight into the Zumba phenomena.


Source Emma-Kate Knezevic

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Posted in health fitness 2011 , latin rhythms , Latin steps , salsacircuit music weekly charts 2011 , zumba , zumba latin dance , zumba latin dancing

Cinco de Mayo dancers make moves connected to Latin culture

Different dance styles connect to Latin culture at Victoria Cinco de Mayo festival

Nathaniel Garek, a sixth-grader, did a hip-hop dance at the Cinco de Mayo festival. The young African-American sees dance as a tool to unify a community.

"It's a Mexican heritage festival, but dance helps us be together, said the Stroman Middle School student.

Nathaniel's school dance group was one of several at the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Riverside Park on Saturday. The various styles of dance all had a connection to Latino culture.

Nathaniel was among the thousands who shared the Latino culture through music, through food and through dance at this year's fiesta.

Jalynn Cantu, another Stroman student, shared Garek's sentiment, but had a different link to the festivities.

"It makes me excited to dance because I get to celebrate my culture," she said.

The 14-year-old walked proudly with a perfectly coiffed bun, silk flowers and gold comb in her hair.

Jalynn's white, lacy dress was from Veracruz. She said it took her almost three hours to get in costume.

The first-year folklorico dancer admitted she had to make some adjustments to dance, "It's really hard but you get the hang of it," she said.


As she walked off the stage after her Jarocho dance, someone yelled, "You girls did pretty good."

Bashfully, she said "thank you."

Kade Gayle admired Jalynn and the other dancers from VISD folklorico group from a distance.

"They are princesses," said the smitten 2-year-old.

He even tried to dance with them in the audience.

Sheila Gayle, Kade's mother said, "He keeps telling how beautiful they are. He's fascinated."

The Gayles are not Mexican, but the mother wanted to expose her son to another culture. Kade's mother also learned from the experience.

"I didn't realize there was so much variety in the style of dress and dance," she said.

Elsa Garcia Pina, wanted her son to embrace dance. For years, her son Arturo performed traditional Mexican dance, but now he's evolved into hip-hop.

The 19-year-old Pina doesn't see the styles of dance as exact opposites. "It's a smooth transformation like A-to-Z," he said.

Elsa Pina, director of VISD Folklorico, said she also sees a connection and doesn't seem phased by his decision. "It's all good," she said.

Students can take the folklorico dance class for credit and get a good workout.

The Victoria YMCA Zumba class may be students, but they are not in school. They are learning to combine fitness with Latin flair.

"I have so much energy. I don't have stress anymore since taking the class," said Aurelia Perez. The two-year class veteran said she loves the Shakira moves, but she was a little nervous dancing in front of a big crowd.

Luckily, Perez had 24 other students backing her up on the stage for her first performance.

Zumba dance is Latino-style dance using salsa, merengue, reggaeton, and quebradita that mixes with fitness according to Rosalinsa Ramirez.

The class instructor said, "It's not really a workout, it's a party."

Source Victoria Advocate

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Posted in celia cruz salsa , cinco de mayo , Cinco de Mayo dancers , latin culture 2011 , latin dance , latina , latina dancer , zumba

Dancing To Stay Young and Sexy - Who Knew?

Dancing has been around for ages and it began as form of enticement and adoration. Today it's something much much more. Dancing offers incredible health benefits along with hours of enjoyment.

Since a major portion of the American population is quickly aging, dancing and it's simple techniques are being used to elevate cardio health. Americans and baby boomers with today's relaxed way of life find dancing to be a fun activity and an enjoyable way to get moving.

The newest forms of dance are really the oldest forms. We don't know the exact origins of ancient dance but we are finding an increasing interest in Middle Eastern belly dancing and in Salsa. There are amazing benefits to these types of dance such as lowering the risk of coronary heart disease, depression, loneliness and reducing stress.

As we age, which seems to happen over night, it seems to bring with it a feeling of defeat. What we see is something that only happened to other people. How can this be happening to me? We silently ask ourselves as we look into the mirror. And, hopefully it ignites a desire to work with our aging bodies and to become the best we can be.

Dancing is Great for the Mind


Barring any medical complications our mind still functions as it always has. It's the changes on the exterior of our bodies that bothers us. And luckily these are the ones we can fight. Being active keeps us strong when everything begins to slow down.

Dancing increases endorphins which help heal our body while it increases muscle tone and coordination. Dancing also makes us feel younger and happy.

Today the most fun type of dancing combines belly dancing with salsa. Zumba the current rage and belly dancing gives our aging bodies a sense of sexuality which can always lead to additional enjoyment.

Shake That Wild Thing to Lose Weight


One of the greatest things that dancing provides is a way to get rid of unwanted weight. Using most of the muscle of your body, dance burns off the most calories. So, just get up and do it.

If you want to decrease blood pressure and strengthen the bones of your legs and hips, get your groove on. If you're concerned about your state of mental acuity dance helps with it as well by increasing the blood flow to the brain. Since dancing requires memorizing steps the mental challenges it provides increases in brain health.

Find a class, check out the dance videos on YouTube and get your groove on.

Article  Source: Carolyne Mroz

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Posted in Best Latino Dancers , Dance , dance exercise , dancing salsa , salsa dance , sexy latin dance , zumba , zumba dance

Zumba Dance Craze!

Are you tired of doing the same endless dieting. Fed up with buying expensive slimming pills and potions to make you slim that just dont work? Well, I have a great news for you! It's the newest Zumba Dance Craze in town! Currently the fastest growing fitness program suitable for every person who wants to be physically attractive, beautiful and healthy inside and out. It can be beneficial for all types of people, different age groups, races and sizes as it is simple and addictive. For those who want to stop their never-ending sacrifice of going through these ineffective and expensive methods of getting physically fit, a Zumba fitness class is a great way to learn how to stay healthy while having fun.

morningbulletin.com.au

Get a stress free life and attain that physic body that you desire by trying out the latest Zumba fitness craze. Zumba uses many different Latin styles of dance. Typical styles are Salsa, Merengue, samba, Bachatta, Reggaeton, even bollywood and Flamenco. It makes you enthusiatic when you listen to the music and you are having so much fun you dont realise you are doing a workout. It gives you the opportunity to work out your entire body thus keeping your heart pumping and feet jumping. A good and healthy heart pumps when you are on the move therefore burning fat and cholesterol in your body. Aside from keeping your body in shape, it also circulates oxygen around your body making your feel fresh and alive after each class.

Did you know that even the winner of Big Brother in the UK this year takes Zumba classes! Zumba have even launced a new fitness programme similar to Wii keep fit, so soon you will be able to practice at home!


Just imagine when you shake your hips like Shakira, you will realise "its a party not a workout"! It is a fast and effective way to become a better and healthy you? There's no fitness class like Zumba! So if you need a healthy and inexpensive way to unwind and become physically gorgeous while taking away all the stress this chaotic and busy world around you brings, then find the nearest Zumba class in your hometown. It is growing at such a rate of knotts there is bound to be a new class opening up near you soon. Having a sexy, Hurry though as the classes fill up so quick you might not get in as everyone wants to join the party!

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

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Posted in Dance , dance lessons , dance steps , latino , match salsa dance , zumba , zumba dance