Ditch the workout, join the party!

“I was already a salsa dance instructor when I found out about Zumba. I already loved the Latin dance and music elements that Zumba offered, and really enjoyed high-energy aerobics classes, so mixing both together sounded like brilliant class idea. A few friends had heard of it and were teaching and/or participating in classes already, I so decided to join them. After the first class I really wanted to teach it! “I learned to be a Zumba Instructor in November 2010. By then it had already taken the UK by storm, but I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to part of this new phenomenon. “There are Zumba courses you can take all over the world to become a Zumba Instructor, so I booked onto the first course available. I was already a fitness instructor by this point, and already teaching exercise and dance classes, so Zumba was the next natural step - mixing exercise and dance together in a group environment. “Zumba is popular because it's fun. It's different. Not many people experience Latin music or dance moves in their lives, so to come into contact with it as an exercise class is something fresh for them to try. “Some of the massive health benefits to be gained from Zumba include lower resting heart rate, improved cardiovascular fitness, faster recovery, stronger muscles, more energy, and faster metabolism. [caption id="attachment_1375" align="aligncenter" width="461" caption="Shelley Hall (bottom centre) with one of her Zumba classes"][/caption] “I love everything about Zumba - the music, the dance moves, the energy, the fun and the atmosphere – everything! It's especially great when you see everyone in the class enjoying themselves too - that's the biggest buzz. “Zumba is one of the best workouts you can do, without it feeling like a workout. It's fun, you can relax, have a giggle, it's social and it's unlike any other exercise class there's been before. “I always make slight changes to each class, like adding new tracks, choreography, offering free raffles, ‘bring a friend for free’ offers, loyalty cards and free class tickets. Every now and then we'll do a Zumba party session, where we learn popular dance party tracks for a bit of fun. There are also various Zumba weekends or holidays that participants can go on. “I'd like to start offering big Zumba events for my Zumba loving class! I'm always trying to keep everything fresh and exciting. Exercise should never get boring. It can’t with Zumba, as there's always something new to look forward to -from the clothes on the website, to charity fundraiser events, party weekends, Zumba holidays, and new people all the time! “As an instructor and personal trainer I'm always learning new things, or trying new courses, so am able to offer things other than just Zumba to my participants - even down to nutritional advice and home workouts. Aqua Zumba is also proving popular, so watch out, there may be some more Zumba appearing in a venue near you soon!