Zumba?

xxnemodinoxx600

Hi, does anyone here use Zumba? I was wondering if it can help with losing weight and toning muscles besides just cardio. Also I am not a very avid dancer so is it easier or a more complex dancing?

victoria_1024

I like Zumba. I go to youtube and find Zumba routines with songs I like so that it's more fun for me. Some of the routines are more difficult, some are easier, but the more you do it the better you get at it. It can definitely help with weight loss but not really building muscles. It's just a good cardio activity.

lisamaucoin

I like Zumba too. Some people in the class I take report much higher calorie burn in the 55 minutes than I know I burn. I agree that it depends on the instructor's selections of the movements and the amount of effort you are putting into it. If you are not an avid dancer, look for songs or instructors with lots of repetition so that it doesn't take long to pick up the choreography. Once you get the choreography you can use your arms more and use put more energy into the movements to burn more calories. I've also seen people use light wrist weights for toning (or maybe more caloric burn?)

middlehaitch

I enjoy Zumba, now. When I first started last year I was all over the place and had no idea what I was doing. After a while I realised there were a lot of repeated moves, once I figured out how to do each one individually I found it easier to follow the class and join each individual move into a dance. Still not the most elegant Zumba dancer but I enjoy the workout it gives me and the social aspect.
I took a Zumba Gold class to begin with. It is a little slower so you can follow along a bit better.

You will get a good calorie burn doing it. It depends on the instructor, whether they include body weight moves, if you get any muscle benefit.

There are Zumba toning classes where you hold light hand weights all class. Though this is pooh poohed by many, it can help someone new to exercise improve the strength and endurance of the arms.

Cheers, h.

47Jacqueline

I teach Zumba. Zumba is not about being a good dancer. It's not about the steps right. Zumba is a workout aimed at having a good time and forgetting it's exercise you're doing, the tag line is "Ditch the workout, join the party."

The choreography is cued - watch the instructor. It's also like any new thing you do - for example, remembering to log your food. It takes a bit of practice to learn how. Go to a class a few times, find an instructor you like.

cecsav1

I hated it. Best advice would be give it a shot. Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll hate it.

scolaris

I like Zumba. It's not my main workout but I do it for variety.
But watch the alleged burns. MFP seems too high.

girlwithcurls2

47Jacqueline wrote: »

I teach Zumba. Zumba is not about being a good dancer. It's not about the steps right. Zumba is a workout aimed at having a good time and forgetting it's exercise you're doing, the tag line is "Ditch the workout, join the party."

The choreography is cued - watch the instructor. It's also like any new thing you do - for example, remembering to log your food. It takes a bit of practice to learn how. Go to a class a few times, find an instructor you like.

Wait a minute... I've seen you before! Don't you teach aqua Zumba too? Dang. I'm on the wrong coast. Is that you in the picture? Looks like fun.

OP, if this lady teaches Zumba and looks this great, I'd say, at least give it a few tries (more than one-anything is tricky the first time, but you will catch on!)

dbanks80

I take a Zumba class every Saturday. It is a great workout I burned at least 500 calories. It doesn't feel like a workout because I have so much fun dancing and I don't care how I look. No one pays attention to you anyway so I say go for it.

Asher_Ethan

Biggest aid in losing weight is a calorie deficit. But taking zumba classes can let you eat A LITTLE bit more and stay in a deficit. I love zumba. It doesn't feel like working out to me.

ltworide

I enjoy going to a Zumba class as a light, fun off-day cardio activity. It puts a smile on my face & I get a few laughs. Most of the main steps are repetitive in nature & fairly easily learned after you've done them a few times. Watch for instructor cues, they should be nonverbal.

At the end of the day, do exercises/activities you enjoy doing. This will make it easier for you to set yourself up for success on you journey!

As for losing weight, from personal experience weight loss mostly occurs from eating whole and minimally processed foods while maintaining a caloric deficit. Exercise will help with this & provide you with other health benefits.