Zumba is one of the hottest things right now. Almost everyone is doing it. You walk by a fitness center, and it’s full of women of all sizes and shapes, with happy faces, shaking their booty to the exotic beats of music from all over the world.

So what is all the hype with this thing called Zumba Fitness?

The official Zumba.com page defines themselves as “an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that lets you shimmy and shake your way into a fantastic shape “.

Before we go into why Zumba is so popular let’s go back to how it originated.

Beto Perez invented Zumba in Cali, Colombia.

Beto Perez explains in his book that one day when he was getting ready to teach one of his aerobics classes he suddenly realized that he had left the music tape that he used specifically for this aerobic class at home. Not wanting to cancel the class he instead used one of his music tapes from his backpack.

The music he had in that tape was his personal selection of Spanish music (salsa, merengue, cumbia, rumba and other Latin music). In that one hour class, he improvised a lot, but the outcome was amazing. His students loved that music much better, there was so much more happiness in the air. It was an instant hit. The word started spreading around, and the rest is history.

It’s definitely a fascinating story. If you get a chance read Beto’s book, Zumba®: Ditch the Workout, Join the Party!.

Now back to why Zumba is so popular? One of the main reasons is because Zumba is so much fun. When that high energy music comes on, and you start shaking your hips you feel like you’re at a party. Maybe that’s one of the secrets of Zumba; it transports people back to their party days. People in my classes have so much fun that they literally can’t believe the class is over. They always want more.

Another reason why Zumba is so popular is because you get a great workout without realizing it. It’s exercise in disguise.

In a one hour Zumba class, you can expect to lose anywhere from 500 calories and sometimes more depending on the intensity of the class. That’s great when you compare it to running, cycling and other forms of cardio exercises.

The intensity of the dance moves goes from high to low in a matter of seconds, which is why it makes it an excellent way to get you in shape and lose weight.

A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise concluded that Zumba Fitness is a total body exercise program targeting the core and other parts of the body with its hip and mid body movements.

Another thing that makes Zumba so popular is that it’s dance moves are very easy to follow. If you’re a beginner, you should have no problem picking up the steps.

So to summarize, Zumba is so much fun to do. You also get results! But don’t take my word for it. You have to experience it for yourself. I’ve had people who never understood this whole Zumba craze thing come to my class for the first time and after that, they were hooked.

Go to the Zumba website and there search for a class near you. If you live in the Boston area come by and join one of my many classes. I hold Zumba classes in Malden, Ma.

You can even do it in the privacy of your home. You can purchase a DVD that is easy to follow.  You can buy them from the Zumba website.  If you use my affiliate code #348643, you can even  get an additional 10% off your purchase.

If you want to lose weight and have fun, then try Zumba.

Also, If you’re a Zumba fan then I’m happy to announce that Zumba Fitness started its first ever membership program for super fans like yourself who want more after their Zumba class is over.

In this membership, you’ll get exclusive live stream classes from Beto himself, Zumba music downloads, discounts on Zumba wear and more. Click here for more information.

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