WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ZUMBA??

I love zumba -- but I don't do DVDs, I go to a class at my local gym.

My theory about most things is this: The thing that will work is the thing that you'll do. The thing you won't do? Won't work for sure. Although I've fallen off the calorie-counting wagon this summer, I set my goal at Zumba 3X a week, and even though I've gained about 5 lb back (bad diet! Too many cookies!) my legs and waist are slimmer, and I am definitely more toned.

I really enjoy zumba. Which means I'll DO zumba. Which means I'll get more out of DOING zumba than I would get out of not lifting heavy or doing circuits or huffing along on the elliptical.

The people who've said you have to go 3-4 times before you start to get comfortable are correct. I've been going to zumba for about a year, and I finally don't feel like a total fool. I toyed around with other fitness classes, weightlifting and cycling and kickboxing, but gave them up to do zumba, which I figure is where I'll stay until I stop feeling it -- by which I mean, when I stop getting out of the car after my ride home and saying "Okay, we worked THAT...." (step) "oooh and that..." (another step) "Yep, and that too..."

Love Zumba.. Great workout.. typically get 500+ calorie burn in just under an hour.. many times 600 to 700.

How are you tracking your burns? Do you do Zumba with weights? The reason I ask is because I've asked several instructors at my gym what they burn and they are in the 400-500 range for an hour with weights.

I'm a little "hyper" in Zumba and according to my HRM I burn between 700-800 cals/hr each class.

I love ZUMBA it's a fun way to get moving..It does depend on the instructor...not all instructors are equal. It seems some are afraid of being adventurous and not to confident the moves so stick to the same old, same old. If you can get one that really mixs and uses latin american ie. salsa, chacha etc with some swing it's a blast. I live in NZ the best teacher I've had was one in Auckland northshore at Forrest Hill. she had over 200 music cd she had Zumba routines for and once you got the gist of the basics you certainly moved that body :flowerforyou:

I'm actually the opposite of most people on here. I have the DVDs, and I love them, but I've never been to a live Zumba class before. (I'm not the most coordinated, and the fear of falling on my face in front of others terrifies me!) I don't use Zumba everyday, but I do incorporate them into my workouts as a fun day exercise. I highly recommend them for a fun way to get in a good cardio workout.

you can make your own Zumba home "class" by finding videos posted on youtube.. there's tons of them!

Also want to add that, while I am not going to win a competition anytime soon, my coordination and multi-tasking skills have greatly improved since I've started Zumba. It's a workout for the mind AND body!

you can make your own Zumba home "class" by finding videos posted on youtube.. there's tons of them!

The channel "harperjillian" has a lot of good ones. Jill's a local zumba instructor and a lot of the local zumba instructors use her routines. I can do a whole zumba class at home with YouTube on the XBox, except I don't get the burn I'd get in class. My living room is too small and carpet makes some of the moves difficult.

I LOVE ZUMBA! it is my primary exercise lol. I do an hour everyday (except Mondays and Fridays since I go to the gym then) . I do it on the Xbox Kinect, Zumba Fitness Rush Fun fun fun!

LOVE IT!! However I only like it at a class....the energy of the room keeps you going and if your at home you can get bored...

AGREED!! I havent dont a DVD or XBox or Wii but, I have taken a class. It is a BLAST!!! My instructor is fun, full of energy, and keeps you moving!! I am actually starting back up in my class tonight and incorporating it into my Turbo Jam schedule so i can still do it.

OH and I actually downloaded a lot of the songs that we use in Zumba so that once I learned the dances, I can do them at home! My 6 year old daughter and I sometimes have our OWN Zumba classes at home!

I love Zumba because it's something different to do and I love the music and the movements. My waistline has definitely seen a change from all the Belly Dance songs we do. I wear a HRM during mine, so I know how hard I've worked at the end!

Meh. I've tried it, and I think it's a waste of my time. I'd prefer to do something more hardcore, like p90x or Insanity.

Edited to add: For just the dance value, I think it's pretty fun. But when I work out, I'm not looking for "fun". I want my @ss kicked.

I have added Zumba once or twice a week, and it depends A LOT on the instructor. I have been to instructors who barely work up a sweat for me, and some who have burned 800-1000 calories for me (by HRM) during the workout, and left my abs, legs, and butt with a solid ache for a few days.

OH and I actually downloaded a lot of the songs that we use in Zumba so that once I learned the dances, I can do them at home! My 6 year old daughter and I sometimes have our OWN Zumba classes at home!

I've also downloaded a lot of the songs we dance to in zumba. lol! I love it! My daughter knew the dance moves before she even started going to zumba with me.! It truly is a great workout!