HELP with zumba! please

chloejaneg1007
chloejaneg1007 Posts: 77
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

I need help and answers with something....I do Zumba a few times a week. Zumba isnt in the MFP exercise list so i have been choosing - " Dancing- aerobic modern ballet-twist" instead. For 35 mins i burn 160 calories with that. (on a normal day i do more)
Today i used a heart rate watch for the first time which takes my sex F age 21 and weight 58kgs and how many minutes i exercised (35) and took my heart rate from a sensor and it said i had burnt 540 calories!!

I have read online that zumba can burn this many calories so i just want too know which one is most like lt correct- 540 calories from my heart rate or what MFP says for dancing - 160. It is quite high intensity and i can feel my heart beating. Can anyone help?

:)

Replies

  • SparkleShine
    SparkleShine Posts: 2,001 Member
    Does your heart rate monitor also have a chest strap? These are more accurate. You input age, gender, height, weight...

    I'm 42 and 5'5" and 173lbs. I usually really go all out for most of an hour class, with the exception of water breaks. I normally burn an average of 550 calories. SOmetime more , sometimes less.

    Hope that helps!:flowerforyou:
  • sharonfincher1
    sharonfincher1 Posts: 311 Member
    try www.zumbacalories.com
  • waterwing
    waterwing Posts: 214 Member
    Your heart rate monitor is correct. Zumba burns mad calories! I usually do 90 minute sessions and they burn up to 700+ calories! I think if you add it on MFP as "aerobics".. it's more accurate than dancing..
    Enjoy!
  • chloejaneg1007
    chloejaneg1007 Posts: 77
    Thanks :)
    no it doesn't have a chest strap its just the watch which came with my Zumba set for home use (the dvds). im not sure how good and accurate it is.

    I have been on that website and it says i burnt- 302 so there all different! haha
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    lol, I can only do zumba for 20 minutes at a go. 90 minutes? Im motivated. :)
  • WilmaDennis91
    WilmaDennis91 Posts: 433 Member
    I took Zumba all summer and my watch said a lot more than MFP general dancing and aerobic. Go with the watch!
  • Fayve
    Fayve Posts: 406 Member
    I use my Polar HRM when I go to Zumba, and typically burn up to 700 calories within an hour with how hard I push it. I'd say the higher number sounds more accurate - it's a great workout!
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
    If you're only 58kgs, I would hesitate to say you're burning 500 cals, but it depends on how hard you're working and how fit you are. Always UNDER-estimate, especially if you're eating your exercise calories back.
  • chloejaneg1007
    chloejaneg1007 Posts: 77
    Thank you for all your replies!
    i do go hard and although i only weight 58kg im not that fit- i haven't really ever dome much exercise haha.
    Im not eating back my calories. im not sure how accurate the watch wil be compared to all the ones you al use as it was just a cheap thing that came with my zumba dvds,
    I think i will use " aerobics" instead on MFP which is most likely more accurate and use that as a minimum and if its more - then yay! haha

    How is it that Zumba burns such mad calories?
  • sarahsummers12
    sarahsummers12 Posts: 128 Member
    I do zumba at home and use a HRM and mine tells me I only burn about 400 for a 60 min workout.... I mustn't work as hard...lol
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    I sometimes go to a 60 minute Zumba class at my gym. According to my Polar FT7 HRM, I burn 400 calories in that 60 minute space. I find that much more believable than 1200/hr.

    Also, be careful about that higher number if eating back your exercise calories. This is the kind of thing plateaus are made of.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
    Zumba calorie .com site that someone else listed above was hella accurate for me based upon my polar HRM w/ chest strap for me.

    Intense class I burn 600-620
    Tough class I burn 550-600
    Moderate class I burn 475-550

    29 y/o female currently 144 lbs 5'7'' resting HR 50 25% BMI

    This is HEAVILY based upon the instructor and routine, ONE instructor has EVER gotten me over 620 in a 60 minute period, FEW can get me over 600 and some can NEVER get me over 550. If they can't ever get me over 500 I stop going.
  • mogletdeluxe
    mogletdeluxe Posts: 623 Member
    I used my PT4 HRM with a chest strap and burn, on average, 670 - 700 calories doing an hour of Zumba. I know some people have raised a quizzical eyebrow at that, but I've input my age, gender and weight into my HRM and it gives consistent readings. I give it some welly for the hour and end up absolutely drenched in sweat, I love it!

    As for logging it, I've just created an exercise on my database ('Zumba with HRM') and used that, and changed the calories burned as necessary.
  • LadyPakal
    LadyPakal Posts: 256 Member
    Polar FT7 with chest strap, 47yo, 213lbs, been doing zumba for a couple of months so not particularly fit and last night I recorded 300kcal in a 45 mins session using Zumba on XBox Kinect - moderate intensity setting.
  • PhoenixRising7
    PhoenixRising7 Posts: 194 Member
    I use my Polar FT7 whenever I workout. I burn less calories doing Zumba (xbox) at home - about 320ish for 35mins. However, when I take a live class at the gym, I burn tons of calories. Last night, I burned 827 calories in 65 minutes.

    I say go with the HRM or do an average from the HRM and the website.

Categories