Zumba or Spin

JenBrown0210
JenBrown0210 Posts: 985 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
So I know this a personal preference question! I am debating on signing up for a class. I want something where I can push myself more. It has been raining a lot here and I find running on the treadmill torture! I want something different do . I am also getting close to my goal weight, 13 pounds away! I need to up my exercising and also want to start toning.

So here is my question. What do you prefer? The pros and cons.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • parisianskies002
    parisianskies002 Posts: 88
    Spinning is quite intense so if your fitness level isn't up to that then l'd start off with Zumba :) lt is quite fun and burns plenty of calories!
  • aferbet
    aferbet Posts: 124
    I'm a zumba junkie! Love it! It's so much fun...you don't even feel like you are working out.
  • 2011_4mygirls
    2011_4mygirls Posts: 298 Member
    I did Zumba for the first time yesterday. Unfortunately, I hurt my knee, it is a lot of twisting and turning and my left knee snapped(I have had problems with this knee in the past). When I got home I researched Zumba. One thing I found is that you should not wear athletic type shoes for Zumba. This makes perfect sense to me now
    wish I would have researched it first. Athletic shoes like to get a grip on the floors and in Zumba you need to be able to "slide" your feet. I will try to find the article I read and provide a link.
  • julesandrich
    julesandrich Posts: 188 Member
    I love spin class....I would like to try Zumba but I am not sure I am coordinated enough to get through the class! lol. Spin is intense but I always burn a ton of calories and feel great once I am done.
  • petithamu
    petithamu Posts: 582 Member
    Okay, I've done both and this is my opinion:

    Zumba: So fun. You're dancing and sweating and the music is awesome. If you have a fun instructor it adds even more to the fun factor. You can burn quite a lot of calories I think but I've never measured it with a HRM. I enjoyed it but I don't think I pushed myself hard enough because it just felt like I was in a nightclub dancing my heart out. If you want something fun to keep you distracted from the 'working out' factor, Zumba's great. Some of the moves weren't great for my knees so I can't really squat down as deep...that kinda frustrated me...

    Spinning: I love spinning. I started doing it because of the knee problem and I couldn't run. It is super intense but you really do push yourself. When you have a great instructor and the whole class is so pumped and cycling beside you, it really pushes me to go further and faster and turn on the resistance. I like spin because I don't feel any knee pain afterwards and I really feel like I had a solid workout. A lot of people are scared of spin, like I was once before, but don't knock it till you try it! Plus it gives you great legs/bums!

    Either one you choose, all great cardio workout!
  • FunRun08
    FunRun08 Posts: 203 Member
    I teach a cycle class ( basically spinning without the trademark) so I know I am biased but I think its a great workout. You can push yourself as hard as you want regardless of the instructor. I have taken a couple Zumba classes and felt like a lot depended on how intense the instructor made it. With spinning if you need a harder workout ( or an easier one) you control your own tension.
    Just my 2 cents
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    My best advice: see if you can try both classes out and pick the one you like best. Both spin and Zumba depend a lot on the teachers, and I have had terrible teachers for both types of classes. If you can find good instructors (and unfortunately, especially with the recent popularity of Zumba, this is sort of a big if) the calorie burn is similar for both workouts. Zumba is actually a slightly higher burn for me because it's weight-bearing.

    Spin is going to feel like a slightly varied version of riding a stationary bike. With a good instructor, your class should have: music that paces your ride, enough variety to keep you from getting bored and varying intensity.

    Zumba is going to feel like dancing. With a good instructor, your class should have: high energy music with little down time, varied choreography, enough variety to keep you from getting bored and varying intensity.

    It really does come down to personal preference, and if there's any way that it's possible for you. . .try before you buy! Any instructor or gym worth their bacon should allow you to do this.:flowerforyou:

    edited to add: seconded on the shoe advice given above: Zumba is dancing, and you will need shoes with very light traction that allow for lateral movement. (dance sneakers, or any shoe with slippery-er soles). Either that, or modify the moves.
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