What is ZUMBA?
Let's face it, working out can be healthy, rewarding, beneficial… working out can be lots of things, but its never been known to be much fun… UNTIL NOW!
Zumba is NOT a dance class - it is a dance-based aerobic fitness class. But what's really cool is that even though you're exercising, you'll STILL be learning basic dance steps to such dances as Cha Cha, Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and more! You'll even be able to take these moves with you when you're out dancing!
Zumba fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic workout system that will blow you away.
We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba Fanatics achieve long term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exhilarating hour of caloric-burning, heart-racing, muscle-pumping, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!
The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you've got ZUMBA! Normally we mix Latin tunes (about 70%) with other tunes such as Rock 'n Roll and Bellydancing (the remaining 30% - more or less).
In the past years Zumba has become nothing short of a revolution. Coining the concept of "fitness-party" and making fitness fun, Zumba has spread like wild-fire, and has positioned itself as the single most influential movement in the industry of fitness.
As of February 08, Zumba has a rapidly growing community of over 11,000 certified instructors in thirty-five countries, sold over 3 million DVD's, and changed the lives of an estimated 2 million Zumba Fanatics.
Why? Because it's the best party around ... Zumba takes the work out of working out!
HISTORY OF ZUMBA
Celebrity fitness trainer, "Beto" Perez, stumbled upon the concept of Latin inspired fitness in his native country of Colombia (South America) in the mid 1990's. One day, he walked into his class and realized that he had forgotten his aerobics music, and his only option was to grab whatever tapes he had in his car. Beto’s tapes were comprised of the songs that he loved, the traditional Latin salsa and merengue music with which he had been raised. But it was a challenge to improvise a whole class on the spot using non-traditional aerobics music. Beto rose to the challenge and from this last-minute improvisation was born a revolutionary fitness program – Zumba! The class soon became the most popular class at his fitness facility.
In 1999, after his success in Colombia, Beto brought the class to the United States, where he was approached by entrepreneurs Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion to create a global company based on the Zumba fitness philosophy. The three young entrepreneurs then set a goal to offer Zumba classes all over the world.
In 2002, Perlman and Aghion secured a deal with a large infomercial company to launch the concept nationwide resulting in the sale of hundreds of thousands of videos to the US market. The overwhelming response created a demand for more Zumba instructors, and Zumba created an instructor training program. The program was an instant success. By September 2006, there were over 2000 Zumba instructors worldwide.
In 2003, Zumba teamed with Kellogg's to develop a fitness campaign for the Hispanic market. Kellogg's has since expanded the campaign to five additional countries and has consistently renewed the relationship with Zumba every year. Zumba has been featured in over 1.5 million boxes of Special K cereal around the world.
The following year, in 2004, Zumba launched a successful infomercial campaign in Spanish for the US Hispanic market and Latin America, increasing sales to more than 2.5 million DVD’s in over 30 countries.
In 2005, the demand for Zumba instructors across the nation and abroad spurred the creation of the Zumba’s Educational Division. To ensure integrity and quality above and beyond the industry standards, the Educational Division has over 50 years of combined industry experience in their Vice President, Petra Robinson and Educational Director, Koh Herlong. Our two industry leaders have aided in the development of fitness industry standards over the past 25 years and now bring to Zumba their expertise and experience.
Under their guidance and leadership, Zumba has aligned with AFAA (Aerobic & Fitness Association of American), ACE (American Council on Exercise), IDEA (the world’s largest association for fitness professionals), SCW Fitness Education, Can-Fit-Pro (International Trade Show & Conference in Canada), and many top national fitness facility chains and organizations.
The Educational Division was specifically designed to complement the creative direction and innovation of Beto Perez, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Zumba. Under Beto’s guidance, the Educational Faculty provides Zumba Instructor Workshops worldwide.
Currently, Zumba offers:
1. Zumba Basic Skills Instructor Training workshop which allows instructors to teach basic Zumba classes.
2. Zumba Gold workshop for the active older adults and the deconditioned exerciser.
Zumba has several other workshops and programs set to launch soon.
In 2007, Zumba launched internationally. Zumba's foray into Mexico, Japan, China, the UK, Italy, and Spain has been explosive and very soon, the entire world will be partying to the tune of Zumba!
In 2008, Zumba launched it's third DVD collection with direct response industry leader, Guthy Renker. This time around, Zumba has added great surprises like the Zumba Toning Sticks and Zumba LIVE!
So please join us, as Zumba's fitness-party continues to expand into healthclubs, living rooms, schools, community centers, YMCA's, corporations, and any other empty room where you can pump up the volume and live the experience that is Zumba."
Read more about the History of Zumba (including some interesting facts about Beto and how he started!)
7 BENEFITS OF ... ZUMBA!
1. It is a workout using dance steps that are easy to follow in a truly fun and party-like atmosphere. It can leave a person with a "feel good" sensation. (Zumba is GROUP FITNESS.)
2. It is a fantastic core workout. Zumba uses moves during the workout that target the abs and back to increase agility and strength as well as to tone & sculpt the torso.
3. Zumba also has the potential to reshape all parts of the body, including the arms, hips, heart, and mind.
4. Zumba is a great fat burning workout. Calories burned will differ from person to person depending on their fitness level and the intensity put forth. Calories burned during one hour of Zumba have been estimated to be anywhere from 500 to 850.
5. This workout provides for a great sweat without even realizing you are exercising.
6. People have reported losing weight doing Zumba, combined with a sensible and well-balanced nutrition plan; this combination can have astonishing results.
7. Zumba also provides for great interval training.
Source: Zumba LLC
Zumba: An Effective Workout
"It's fun...the type of exercise you'll want to do everyday and feel good about doing it!
It's different. You probably never thought you'd be exercising to this type of music.
It's effective. It is an aerobic workout which we all know works. But it's more fun, which makes you stick with the program until you get results!"
Live...laugh...love...ZUMBA!
Vivez...Riez...Aimez...ZUMBA!
For all you Zumba Fitness lovers out there, please check out our Blog:
Zumba With Heather.
If you want to know what Zumba Fitness is, it is a latin dance-based fitness class that's guaranteed to be fun!
This site was designed by Heather Diodati
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