Contents
Weight Loss
Zumba is excellent for weight loss because of the large amount of calories that are burned in a class. It is an aerobic activity with lots of intense exercise. It is not all dancing, many Zumba classes incorporate exercises such as squats and push-ups.
A typical dancer will burn around 500-1000 calories in each Zumba class, so if you do a few lessons a week this may be all the exercise that you need to do to lose weight – providing you are also cutting down on food of course! And the best thing about it is that although it can be strenous it is also fun.
Full workout
Zumba is great for the whole body – legs are strengthened as are your ankles and your feet, and arms and shoulders and the upper body loosened and toned.
And the beauty is that it all happens naturally as you are dancing, you don’t have to do a separate exercise to concentrate on each part of the body like you do in the gym.
Better co-ordination
This is especially important to maintain as we get older.
Increases muscle mass
Zumba dancing will help build up your muscles – in a lean way rather than a weight lifting way. This helps your body to burn calories easier and for you to lose weight faster than before.
Endurance
After a few sessions you will start to find your endurance improving and be able to do other forms of sport more easily, such as running for example.
Good for the heart
Zumba raises your heart beat which increases its strength and it does it in a way that is much easier than in most forms of exercise, it happens naturally as you are moving around and gets the blood really pumping.
Stronger bones
Dancing helps to strengthen your bones which is particularly important as you get older.
Posture
Because of all the movement and stretching that you are doing Zumba helps to improve your overall posture.
Stress relief
Zumba is great for relieving stress because it is both a great exercise and good fun. The boost of endorphins that you will get are great for you and you will soon find yourself addicted to Zumba – but in a good way!
Mental Health
Zumba is fantastic for mental health. Most forms of dancing are good but Zumba is particularly good because it is such fun and so sociable
- It is fun, and you will definitely enjoy yourself dancing to the music and exercising – it is not a chore like many forms of exercise such as the gym. And having fun is one of the best thing for anyone’s mental health. It releases happiness chemicals into the brain.
- You will meet new friends and have something to look forward to. Everyone can take part in it and there is no learning curve. You don’t even need any specialist equipment or clothes although it is best to get a decent pair of Zumba shoes.
- Confidence – it’ll really help you to feel good about yourself, helping both your appearance and your mood.
If you have any feet or health issues take a look at our advice on avoiding problems when you take to the dancefloor.