Zumba - is it any good?

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Need2Exerc1se
Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
A co-worker offered me an old set of Zumba DVD workouts. Anyone here used or using Zumba DVDs? I don't want to take them if I won't use them so looking for some general information like is it a good cardio workout (cardio is what I'm looking for)? How much room do you need to do it? Or any other information or opinions on it.
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Replies

  • ImmaZombie
    ImmaZombie Posts: 84
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    I absolutely love zumba. I was going to a gym here to take classes, but I found some really awesome youtube videos to do at home. It's a lot of fun. I'd try them out. If you don't like them, give them away. :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    This site should give you video clips & reviews....there are different zumba sets, so this might not match

    http://www.collagevideo.com/search?q=zumba

    I have no personal experience.....totally can't dance.
  • geojeepgirl
    geojeepgirl Posts: 243 Member
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    I enjoy it, in my opinion anything that gets you moving is a good thing. :-) And if its fun you may continue to do it. I think its good for cardio, you can work up a good sweat depending on the routines/songs. I found I like the live classes more than the dvd's, everyone laughs with each other. Because someone somewhere is going to turn the wrong way..lol For home use I would say if you can take 3 big steps in each direction from a central spot you should be good. Try the DVD atleast twice.. the first time your figuring out the routine.. it basically follows a pattern thru out the song but it takes a couple of times doing the song to anticipate the next piece of the pattern.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    I tried it with a friend and hated it. Mostly because I can't dance and felt like Elaine from Seinfeld on the dance floor (youtube it if you don't know what I mean). Would probably be enjoyable after a few shots of Sambuca, but I guess that defeats the purpose :blush:
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Thanks for the link. I will check it out. Another lady here in the office is interested in them also, which is why I don't want to take them if I don't think I'll use them. But I guess I can always give them to her if I don't like it after giving them a try.

    I have limited workout space indoors at home, so hopefully the link will tell me if these will work.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    geojeepgirl wrote: »
    I enjoy it, in my opinion anything that gets you moving is a good thing. :-) And if its fun you may continue to do it. I think its good for cardio, you can work up a good sweat depending on the routines/songs. I found I like the live classes more than the dvd's, everyone laughs with each other. Because someone somewhere is going to turn the wrong way..lol For home use I would say if you can take 3 big steps in each direction from a central spot you should be good. Try the DVD atleast twice.. the first time your figuring out the routine.. it basically follows a pattern thru out the song but it takes a couple of times doing the song to anticipate the next piece of the pattern.

    Oh, thanks for this! I'm not sure I have that much room or not, but I will find out once I get home.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    BinkyBonk wrote: »
    I tried it with a friend and hated it. Mostly because I can't dance and felt like Elaine from Seinfeld on the dance floor (youtube it if you don't know what I mean). Would probably be enjoyable after a few shots of Sambuca, but I guess that defeats the purpose :blush:

    Yes, I know Elaine's dancing. :D I will be working out alone so I'll just make sure there is no mirror in the room.
  • yspen42
    yspen42 Posts: 285 Member
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    I love it. And like one person said, it keeps you moving. I am not in there to compete with anyone but I am there to move and be in my own world. Some of the moves I cannot do because of my knee but I just keep it moving because its all about exercise!
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
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    BinkyBonk wrote: »
    I tried it with a friend and hated it. Mostly because I can't dance and felt like Elaine from Seinfeld on the dance floor (youtube it if you don't know what I mean). Would probably be enjoyable after a few shots of Sambuca, but I guess that defeats the purpose :blush:

    haha, this is exactly how I felt. The classes I took definitely left me drenched in sweat, but I felt *so* silly the whole time, and could never quite nail the choreography. Not for me.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    I completely love Zumba!! Well, I don't have the DVD's, I do the zillion of YouTube videos. I'm such an introvert I don't think I could do them in a class! :blushing: But you completely work up a sweat, get the heart pumping... and you don't need so much space. I live in a tiny studio apartment, I just move my little coffee table aside and dance away. :bigsmile:

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Thanks for all the responses. I took the DVDs and I'm looking forward to giving them a try. I love to dance, so this may be just what I'm looking for.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    I love Zumba. I use YouTube clips, and I do it in my living room, so you don't need a ton of room. One thing to be careful of though is if you are doing it on carpet, be careful with your knees because there are a lot of twisting kind of movements.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Raynne413 wrote: »
    I love Zumba. I use YouTube clips, and I do it in my living room, so you don't need a ton of room. One thing to be careful of though is if you are doing it on carpet, be careful with your knees because there are a lot of twisting kind of movements.

    Ah, good to know. Thanks!
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Raynne413 wrote: »
    I love Zumba. I use YouTube clips, and I do it in my living room, so you don't need a ton of room. One thing to be careful of though is if you are doing it on carpet, be careful with your knees because there are a lot of twisting kind of movements.

    Oh yeah, that's another thing... I do it barefoot cuz of the carpet. Lol! I started out doing it with shoes, but with carpet it's no good. You can do the moves better when you're barefoot (if you have carpet).
  • Steph_135
    Steph_135 Posts: 3,280 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Lasmartchika wrote: »
    I completely love Zumba!! Well, I don't have the DVD's, I do the zillion of YouTube videos. I'm such an introvert I don't think I could do them in a class! :blushing: But you completely work up a sweat, get the heart pumping... and you don't need so much space. I live in a tiny studio apartment, I just move my little coffee table aside and dance away. :bigsmile:
    I love all the variety in the Zumba routines on youtube as well. It more or less makes the official DVDs unnecessary as long as there is internet access. :blush: I agree, you don't need much room. My floor space is 6x6 some days (note: I need to clean up). You just have to make some of the moves a little smaller.

    @Lasmartchika You should try a class! Nothing compares! I am very anti-group workouts/working out in public, but I will go to Zumba ANY day!
    Raynne413 wrote: »
    One thing to be careful of though is if you are doing it on carpet, be careful with your knees because there are a lot of twisting kind of movements.
    I found these things that slip over your shoes to deal with this issue:
    http://www.slipondancers.com/slip-on-dancers/
    I bought the ones for hard surfaces cause I Zumba on wood floors, and get sore knees from it sometimes. I like them so far, and they have ones for the carpet!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    edited October 2014
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    youtube is not an option for me. We live out in the boonies where we can only get satelite internet that has very limited gb of data each month. I frequently work from home so we have to save the our gb for VPN connections. No streaming for us. :\

    Also no gyms or rec centers near us for classes. I'm pretty much limited to home workouts.
  • Steph_135
    Steph_135 Posts: 3,280 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    youtube is not an option for me. We live out in the boonies where we can only get satelite internet that has very limited gb of data each month.
    DVDs it is!! I've looked into them before. There are just so many other things I want to get before them. :)
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
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    Another option for shoes is to put ductape on the ball of the foot of your shoes (probably only a good idea if you ONLY use them for zumba, though LOL).
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Steph_135 wrote: »
    Lasmartchika wrote: »
    I completely love Zumba!! Well, I don't have the DVD's, I do the zillion of YouTube videos. I'm such an introvert I don't think I could do them in a class! :blushing: But you completely work up a sweat, get the heart pumping... and you don't need so much space. I live in a tiny studio apartment, I just move my little coffee table aside and dance away. :bigsmile:
    I love all the variety in the Zumba routines on youtube as well. It more or less makes the official DVDs unnecessary as long as there is internet access. :blush: I agree, you don't need much room. My floor space is 6x6 some days (note: I need to clean up). You just have to make some of the moves a little smaller.

    @Lasmartchika You should try a class! Nothing compares! I am very anti-group workouts/working out in public, but I will go to Zumba ANY day!

    Really? I don't know... I wonder if there's like a class where you can just try it out once just to see if you're right. :smile:
  • andiechick
    andiechick Posts: 916 Member
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    I love Zumba but I prefer to be part of a class. I always have a laugh when I'm doing it

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