ZUMBA calories?? Does anyone know??

Zumba workouts can vary in intensity, and calorie burn depends on an individual's weight, fitness level and muscle composition. During an hour long session you can burn anywhere from 500 to 800 calories. On average, a 150-lb. person can expect to burn 536 calories during an hour of Zumba. By comparison, the same person would burn 413 calories during an hour of moderate swimming, 477 for an hour of casual racquetball and 684 for an hour of running at a 10-minute-mile pace.

I think EVERYONE is shooting too HIGH. I have done zumba, giving it my all, more so than most people in the class, and I do not burn even close to what you guys are quoting. no way does it get my heartrate up like running, ( and I run all the time). I wear a HRM , its not even close. Its barely 300 for one hour . BARELY.

My thoughts exactly. I ended up doing modified moves to make it more challanging for me cause after 10 mins I hadn't even broken a sweat.

Wow. All of us, including my instructor, are sweating after 5 minutes and we're all drenched by 10 minutes in. She does her own choreography (she was a ballet dancer until an injury and now does choreography for dance classes) for most of the dances. My HRM put me at 448 calories on Tuesday and 343 calories last night (Toning class, so not as high intensity) and I'm still learning the stuff. Once I get complete hold on everything I expect those numbers to go up.

I picked up HRM that counted calories to make sure i was getting the right numbers. My instructor also said you can use Aerobics, High Impact on MFP

my wife puts it in as "Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist." but she wears a heart rate monitor to maintain accuracy.

I like your Louie CK quote, that's a great show.

http://www.zumbacalories.com/

This site is still 100-200 overestimated for me....

Choosing LOW is close -- but I do pretty high intensity and have been doing it for a year 5-6x week.

If you use it, i would use the LOW option and know its still probably a little more than you actually burn.

I completely agree with this. However the activity on MFP that I find that is very close is Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist. It's almost right on what I burn in Zumba.

http://www.zumbacalories.com/

I agree, it should be in the database!

thanks, I don't have a HRM at the moment and I don't mind estimating

Just bought a heart monitor today and took it to our Zumba class tonight. We have a one hour class, with instructors that I say choreograph an intermediate level class. I have been doing Zumba for 1 1/2 years, so am familiar with most of the moves. Tonight is 3 classes into our new fall session - so I am still learning some of the moves - but pretty typical of our fall classes. The choreography seems to get harder as we start January session.

But here is the scoop: I am 52 yrs old. Weigh 157 lbs. Calories burned tnight...519 in the hour. Highest heart rate 171. Avg heart rate 151. Apparently my target heart rate is 168 (220 minus your age)....so I guess I have to find a way to work harder to get my avg heart rate up to the 168.

We are going to reset it for my 20 year old daughter so that she can wear it tomorrow night for Zumba Toning, and again on Thursday for the same choreography as tonight. So we will see what her numbers are!!

OK....so on Tuesday I posted my heart monitor results for my Zumba class....I am 52. I burned 519 calories in 1 hour.
The following are the results from my daughter's Zumba TONING class (tomorrow I will post her results from a typical Zumba class).....
Calories 703 calories
average heart rate 174
max heart rate 190

I think the younger you are, you burn more calories - because even when I am 'workng it' I didn't burn near what she did on a lower impact Zumba Toning class. I think the way a body reacts at different ages determines the calories burned.
I will post her numbers tomorrow night. We will both be doing the regular Zumba class - with intermediate to advanced choreography. As we only have one heart rate monitor....I can't compare the two of us LOL
So definitely purchasing your own heart rate monitor will give you something more concrete.
But, I was curious with the zumbacalories.com site mentioned and went to it. When I plugged in that I did 'moderate' level of activity the calorie count came close to my 519. Think it said 538. However, when I am dancing and comparing my moves to others, I would have rated myself at a higher energy expenditure. So, best to underestimate!!!
Any way you cut it....Zumba is so much fun I would likely do it even if I didn't burn ANY calories!!! Gotta be great for our cardiovascular systems at the very least!!!!
Join the Party!!!! Zumbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't been doing Zumba long, but I have been to about 6 or 7 classes (1 a week); following a DVD at home and also last night I played the Wii game at home for the first time. I have noticed a difference between all 3 ways...

I've been entering it as line dancing (before I discovered these posts!) and judging how long I thought I was really working out for (and underestimating a little), but one of my friends said they didn't think line dancing was as active (never been, but one of our routines is similar to what I imagine line dancing to be!!) I think I will try some of the suggestions posted and see what comes up... Line dancing worked out to about 240 for 40 minutes.


We have 2 different instructors at the classes and they both do different routines. I have to say one routine to another seems to differ so much - some of them are like a stroll in the park and some of them feel like I've done a (very short!) marathon!! However because they seem to alternate a heavy routine with a lighter one, after each session I normally feel as though I have had a moderate workout, but nothing too strenuous.

The DVD gets me puffed out and pretty sweaty (I think that because I am less self conscious at home)
I've only tried a 20 minute one so far but I just got a full length one (either 45 minutes or an hour - not tried it yet). After the 20 minutes I felt as though I'd done about the same amount of work as the 50 minute class, but I was continuously pushing myself. So I am assuming the full length DVD will give me a better workout than a class.

Last night I did 20 minutes of the Wii game and (probably because the sensor didn't seem to pick up my moves unless I reeeaaallly over exaggerated them) I felt like I was going to die after 20 minutes! Bright red; soaking wet, pounding heart and out of breath! (I had to have a 20 minute break and then did another 25 minutes!)
This was definitely the most intense of the three, but I didn't quite feel as though I was doing the moves right, because I had to emphasise each move to the extreme!

I am hoping to get a HRM within the next couple of weeks, so when I get one I will try each 3 options and post back. (I am 31, 5'2" and 173lb last weigh in).

I have sweat dripping off me within 10-15 minutes, by the end of a 40 minute workout my shirt is drenched. Works differently for different people I guess.

I use the zumba calorie counter site too & judge how intense the workout is by how well I can talk while I'm going. I've been doing zumba exhilarate at home lately & talking is nearly impossible at times, I love it!!