Some people may think that Zumba is just another overhyped exercise program. However, you may not realize that it actually took years to develop and is truly unique because of the variety of influences and original approach to exercising and dancing. Latin rhythms are a general part of the routine, so you get to enjoy music, stay fit and de-stress at the same time.
Physical Benefits
Zumba can keep you in shape, since you burn so many calories in a given session. Each class lasts approximately 1 hour each. Some say that you can burn at least 470 calories in a single session. You only need to do the workout 2 to 3 times a week to stay fit and lean. Zumba can also enhance your motor control and performance. As you go on practicing the moves, you get to have more control over your muscles and get on the groove easily. Zumba Gold, in particular, enhances the range of motion of exercisers, as well as their overall bone density, strength and flexibility.
Zumba is good for people of all ages. Even the elderly can gain physical advantages so they stay strong and supple even in their later years. If you want to get rid of the extra fat and stay fit for life, you can rely on the program since it helps you continuously expend calories and fat even while you're at rest by boosting your metabolism. Learning the new moves and steps also boosts your cognitive function. You get to increase focus and concentration. You may also find that you become capable of doing pain-free activities for the long term.
Mental Advantages
When you're fit or exercising, the body releases hormones that make you feel good. As an effect, you gain increased self-esteem and confidence. You get an overall feeling of wellness. Your quality of life also improves and becomes empowered. Relaxation becomes enhanced which takes away a lot of anxiety, depression and stress. There are more opportunities for social interaction. The routine is also very fun so you do not get the feeling that everything becomes redundant.
Zumba eases boredom by incorporating different tunes, steps and dances. You can stick to the program for the long term and reap the benefits of feeling good about yourself. It is also good to use Zumba together with other types of exercises like weight training. You stay motivated because of the enhanced self-satisfaction
Social Advantages
Zumba allows you to interact with other professionals and individuals who share the same problems and sentiments with you on a regular basis. You get to communicate, learn new steps and spend time together for added fun. You also get to understand different cultures more because of the international fusion of rhythms. As a whole, you get to be more aware about your surroundings.
Expert Advantages
Zumba also offers classes and workshops for individuals who want to do the exercise program more than usual. Certification and training are given for potential instructors. You may teach people of all ages from all over the world, depending on your abilities and personal preferences. You also receive more items and guides if you become an instructor, so you can become an expert in the activity you truly enjoy.
You will find that your skills enhance faster compared to other types of programs.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
What is Zumba?
Zumba has become the latest craze in dancing and fitness. There are variations everywhere that cater to people of any age. Even senior citizens can get to enjoy the programs and burn calories the fun way. It is important that you understand the concepts and principles first, so you can get the most out of the workout. Here is an introduction to Zumba.
Describing Zumba
Zumba is a program for fitness inspired primarily by Latin Dance. It was created by a dancer and choreographer from Miami, Alberto "Beto" Perez, together with a couple of entrepreneurs named Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion. There are different videos or DVDs of Zumba that can be acquired via the web site and infomercials. DVDs in the millions have successfully been sold in more than 30 countries. Today, there are more than 25,000 official Zumba instructors all around the world. It has been featured in numerous media outlets, newspapers, shows and magazines.
The Principles
According to Alberto Perez, Zumba uses the principles of resistance training and fitness interval training to enhance caloric output, overall body toning and fat burn. It is a method of combining easy dance steps with movements that sculpt the body. The program is also very fun and addictive. Zumba has worked with AFAA or Aerobic & Fitness Association of America, Can-Fit-Pro or the International Trade Show & Conference in Canada and the American Council on Exercise. It has also collaborated with several leading national fitness organizations and fitness facility chains.
Music and Inspiration
Zumba is inspired by Latin dance and music and incorporates several styles in the routine like meringue, reggaeton, pop, cumbia, mambo, salsa, salsaton, flamenco, rumba and calypso. The selections of music involve both slow and fast rhythm so dancers can tone and sculpt their body well. Zumba is very fun and highly addictive so most individuals tend to do the exercises daily, maintaining both a fit body and a happy disposition. It is unique compared to other types of dance exercises because of the variety of music selections. It is also very effective, providing you a good aerobic workout.
Zumba History
Beto Perez is a celebrity fitness trainer who discovered the concept of using Latin dances for a fitness program. The Latin-inspired fitness program originated in his native Colombia in South America during the 1990s. During one of his training days, he forgot to bring the usual aerobic tapes and was forced to use the ones in his car. Most were meringue and salsa, so he had to make do right on the spot. Afterwards, he found how fun and effective the changes were and improved the program, leading to the recent Zumba. It became the most popular at the facility.
Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion saw the potential of the program and approached Beto to bring Zumba into America and the global scene. The company was primarily based on the Zumba fitness principles and philosophy, so they began offering Zumba classes worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of videos were introduced to the US market, leading to a very huge response and the creation of more than 2000 Zumba instructors everywhere.
Infomercials and different types of advertising efforts soon followed, spreading Zumba like wildfire until it became a driving force in the fitness industry. Now, there are over 2,000 instructors with millions of people claiming the beneficial effects of the program.
Describing Zumba
Zumba is a program for fitness inspired primarily by Latin Dance. It was created by a dancer and choreographer from Miami, Alberto "Beto" Perez, together with a couple of entrepreneurs named Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion. There are different videos or DVDs of Zumba that can be acquired via the web site and infomercials. DVDs in the millions have successfully been sold in more than 30 countries. Today, there are more than 25,000 official Zumba instructors all around the world. It has been featured in numerous media outlets, newspapers, shows and magazines.
The Principles
According to Alberto Perez, Zumba uses the principles of resistance training and fitness interval training to enhance caloric output, overall body toning and fat burn. It is a method of combining easy dance steps with movements that sculpt the body. The program is also very fun and addictive. Zumba has worked with AFAA or Aerobic & Fitness Association of America, Can-Fit-Pro or the International Trade Show & Conference in Canada and the American Council on Exercise. It has also collaborated with several leading national fitness organizations and fitness facility chains.
Music and Inspiration
Zumba is inspired by Latin dance and music and incorporates several styles in the routine like meringue, reggaeton, pop, cumbia, mambo, salsa, salsaton, flamenco, rumba and calypso. The selections of music involve both slow and fast rhythm so dancers can tone and sculpt their body well. Zumba is very fun and highly addictive so most individuals tend to do the exercises daily, maintaining both a fit body and a happy disposition. It is unique compared to other types of dance exercises because of the variety of music selections. It is also very effective, providing you a good aerobic workout.
Zumba History
Beto Perez is a celebrity fitness trainer who discovered the concept of using Latin dances for a fitness program. The Latin-inspired fitness program originated in his native Colombia in South America during the 1990s. During one of his training days, he forgot to bring the usual aerobic tapes and was forced to use the ones in his car. Most were meringue and salsa, so he had to make do right on the spot. Afterwards, he found how fun and effective the changes were and improved the program, leading to the recent Zumba. It became the most popular at the facility.
Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion saw the potential of the program and approached Beto to bring Zumba into America and the global scene. The company was primarily based on the Zumba fitness principles and philosophy, so they began offering Zumba classes worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of videos were introduced to the US market, leading to a very huge response and the creation of more than 2000 Zumba instructors everywhere.
Infomercials and different types of advertising efforts soon followed, spreading Zumba like wildfire until it became a driving force in the fitness industry. Now, there are over 2,000 instructors with millions of people claiming the beneficial effects of the program.
Monday, May 10, 2010
ZIN Membership Information
ZIN stands for Zumba Instructor Network. This is a very efficient and reliable tool for professionals to continually enhance their knowledge and skills, thereby leading to better and more exciting programs. You can receive a lot of benefits too by joining the network. Even if you are not an instructor, you may gain access by using your own instructor's account. Here are some more tips on how to get the best out of the network.
On Age Requirement
Participants need to be at least 18 years old or older to join a Basic Workshop independently. They should also be at least 18 years old or above to join a Zumba Gold workshop independently. 16 or 17-year old individuals can join Zumba Basic workshops, provided that they secure a letter from their parents or guardian. Both the participant and the parent or guardian should sign the liability form at the Zumba workshop. Individuals who are 16 or 17 years old need to contact the trainer for the workshop to fix the letter from the participants' parents, as well as the liability form.
On ZIN Tools
There is a ZIN policy stating that the membership should strictly be for the Zumba instructor only. A portion of the benefits of becoming a ZIN member is the music sets and choreography tips that you get to have through mail. It is actually against the ZIN policy to share these vital fitness information to non-members. It is not allowed to create copies of ZIN songs. The music industry should be very stringent about copyright laws. The RIAA is actually chasing individuals who have breached the copyright law.
Protect yourself and avoid making copies of the CDs and DVDs at all costs. The ZIN CDs are also not for sale to the general public, since these are intended for the use of ZIN members only, to improve and develop their fitness programs. Exclusive status will be eliminated if the songs were made open to the public. There are some CDs, however, which you can buy at wholesale then resell to students and participants at a higher price.
Canceling ZIN Membership
ZIN membership lasts anywhere from a few months up to a full year. If the membership is cancelled before the minimum due date of expiry, members will have to pay a penalty fee first for the remaining months. The fee can range anywhere between $10 and $25 a month. All materials are provided during the first month in most cases, so you will have to pay for the current month and receive all materials in the same period. The cancellation will be effective once approved, usually during the last week of the month wherein the cancellation was filed.
Requesting Materials
The ZIN membership is similar to other types of subscription. If you are a new member, you will only get the item sent out during the time you registered, with other materials following afterwards. The CDs, DVDs, manuals, etc. will be available as listed in the program, depending on the agency you joined.
Zumba will not give liability insurance waivers. Each Zumba instructor is considered as an independent contractor who can independently decide terms, rates, schedules, routines and other agreements. You may refer to your insurance company, facility and lawyer where you can educate people for added assistance.
On Age Requirement
Participants need to be at least 18 years old or older to join a Basic Workshop independently. They should also be at least 18 years old or above to join a Zumba Gold workshop independently. 16 or 17-year old individuals can join Zumba Basic workshops, provided that they secure a letter from their parents or guardian. Both the participant and the parent or guardian should sign the liability form at the Zumba workshop. Individuals who are 16 or 17 years old need to contact the trainer for the workshop to fix the letter from the participants' parents, as well as the liability form.
On ZIN Tools
There is a ZIN policy stating that the membership should strictly be for the Zumba instructor only. A portion of the benefits of becoming a ZIN member is the music sets and choreography tips that you get to have through mail. It is actually against the ZIN policy to share these vital fitness information to non-members. It is not allowed to create copies of ZIN songs. The music industry should be very stringent about copyright laws. The RIAA is actually chasing individuals who have breached the copyright law.
Protect yourself and avoid making copies of the CDs and DVDs at all costs. The ZIN CDs are also not for sale to the general public, since these are intended for the use of ZIN members only, to improve and develop their fitness programs. Exclusive status will be eliminated if the songs were made open to the public. There are some CDs, however, which you can buy at wholesale then resell to students and participants at a higher price.
Canceling ZIN Membership
ZIN membership lasts anywhere from a few months up to a full year. If the membership is cancelled before the minimum due date of expiry, members will have to pay a penalty fee first for the remaining months. The fee can range anywhere between $10 and $25 a month. All materials are provided during the first month in most cases, so you will have to pay for the current month and receive all materials in the same period. The cancellation will be effective once approved, usually during the last week of the month wherein the cancellation was filed.
Requesting Materials
The ZIN membership is similar to other types of subscription. If you are a new member, you will only get the item sent out during the time you registered, with other materials following afterwards. The CDs, DVDs, manuals, etc. will be available as listed in the program, depending on the agency you joined.
Zumba will not give liability insurance waivers. Each Zumba instructor is considered as an independent contractor who can independently decide terms, rates, schedules, routines and other agreements. You may refer to your insurance company, facility and lawyer where you can educate people for added assistance.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Zumba and Dieting
Zumba has benefited hundreds of thousands of individuals in the past few years. To truly realize the effects of the fitness program, you need to incorporate a sound and sensible diet too. You will find that the advantages grow more in number and quality in the least amount of time. Here are some diet tips that will help you stay fit and lean for the long term.
Basic Diet Tips
Eat small frequent meals to rev up your metabolism. Anywhere between 5 to 8 meals per day is very good. You need to eat something every few hours to churn your digestive system, thereby upping your metabolism so you get to burn fat more while exercising and continue shedding weight off even when you're at rest. Mix lean protein and complex carbohydrates only. Take sources from lean meat cuts, eggs, low fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice and yams.
It is also important to hydrate especially before starting your workout. Drink a gallon of water a day to help your body readily get rid of excess water and fluids. Drink 1 to 2 glasses of water before beginning your Zumba workout. Never skip meals since your body may be led to hoard fat. Your metabolism also slows down if you miss meals. It will help significantly to map out your diet or food choices for the entire week. Pack your snacks and lunch so you avoid having to eat at unhealthy places like fast food stores.
Good Alternatives
Try to eat more of natural food sources like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and fish or lean meat cuts. Stay away from processed and refined food choices, sugar and white flour. Also avoid alcohol, smoking and oily or fried foods. As much as possible, grill, boil, broil or stir fry foods only for added health benefits and faster weight loss. You can practice portion control when eating to avoid eating too much. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. Chew your food and eat slowly. Snacks should also be healthy such as almonds, a piece of fruit or a protein shake.
In the Morning
For breakfast, you can eat 1/4 cup of steel cut oats cooked in 1 cup of rice milk. Add a scoop of protein powder, some strawberries, raisins and milk for flavor. Also eat more protein such as 4 egg whites cooked with veggies or low fat cottage cheese. For your morning snack, eat low fat yogurt. For lunch, eat a 6 to 8 ounce lean steak or turkey plus vegetables. You may also have whole grain bread or brown rice. Stay away from mayonnaise and fatty dressings.
PM Menu for Zumba Dieters
In the afternoon, you can gulp down another protein shake or eat a sweet potato or piece of fruit. Some form of carbohydrate is good before you begin your Zumba workout to give you added strength and energy. For dinner, consume a 6 to 8-ounce steak or chicken breast, plus vegetables with low fat dressing like vinaigrette or balsamic. It is not usually recommended to consume any more carbohydrates after 4 in the afternoon since the body no longer has enough activity or time to burn everything off.
In the evening you can snack on low fat yogurt or 2 tablespoons of low fat peanut butter. Before bed, drink a glass of low fat milk or snack on low fat cottage cheese.
Basic Diet Tips
Eat small frequent meals to rev up your metabolism. Anywhere between 5 to 8 meals per day is very good. You need to eat something every few hours to churn your digestive system, thereby upping your metabolism so you get to burn fat more while exercising and continue shedding weight off even when you're at rest. Mix lean protein and complex carbohydrates only. Take sources from lean meat cuts, eggs, low fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, brown rice and yams.
It is also important to hydrate especially before starting your workout. Drink a gallon of water a day to help your body readily get rid of excess water and fluids. Drink 1 to 2 glasses of water before beginning your Zumba workout. Never skip meals since your body may be led to hoard fat. Your metabolism also slows down if you miss meals. It will help significantly to map out your diet or food choices for the entire week. Pack your snacks and lunch so you avoid having to eat at unhealthy places like fast food stores.
Good Alternatives
Try to eat more of natural food sources like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and fish or lean meat cuts. Stay away from processed and refined food choices, sugar and white flour. Also avoid alcohol, smoking and oily or fried foods. As much as possible, grill, boil, broil or stir fry foods only for added health benefits and faster weight loss. You can practice portion control when eating to avoid eating too much. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. Chew your food and eat slowly. Snacks should also be healthy such as almonds, a piece of fruit or a protein shake.
In the Morning
For breakfast, you can eat 1/4 cup of steel cut oats cooked in 1 cup of rice milk. Add a scoop of protein powder, some strawberries, raisins and milk for flavor. Also eat more protein such as 4 egg whites cooked with veggies or low fat cottage cheese. For your morning snack, eat low fat yogurt. For lunch, eat a 6 to 8 ounce lean steak or turkey plus vegetables. You may also have whole grain bread or brown rice. Stay away from mayonnaise and fatty dressings.
PM Menu for Zumba Dieters
In the afternoon, you can gulp down another protein shake or eat a sweet potato or piece of fruit. Some form of carbohydrate is good before you begin your Zumba workout to give you added strength and energy. For dinner, consume a 6 to 8-ounce steak or chicken breast, plus vegetables with low fat dressing like vinaigrette or balsamic. It is not usually recommended to consume any more carbohydrates after 4 in the afternoon since the body no longer has enough activity or time to burn everything off.
In the evening you can snack on low fat yogurt or 2 tablespoons of low fat peanut butter. Before bed, drink a glass of low fat milk or snack on low fat cottage cheese.
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