Zumba - cals burned??

I use this website www.zumbacalories.com without a HRM I don't know how accurate it is but it's the best thing I can find for a guide to what you'll burn.

I compared my HRM to the website and it was pretty close! However, I know I'm going at high intensity and the low one was what matched with my HRM the closest. Just be careful, it's better to underestimate than overestimate!

I love Zumba! I have a HRM and it says I burn between 1000 - 1100 calories. My heart rate gets really high when I do cardio. Most people I've seen are aroun 800 - 1000 cals for an hour.

All the websites I've found (since I don't have my own heart rate monitor) say that the average person does around 5-600 calories in a zumba hour, and that the instructor usually does around 700 (since they're so much more intense, and actually doing every single move). As a 'beginner', since I've only done about 4 weeks and still don't hit every move the instructor does, I usually aim low and put 500 calories.

I try to compare it to other exercises I do. When I jog for an hour, I'm exhausted & drenched in sweat, and that's usually only about 700 calories. So I figure just being sweaty from zumba can't be even close to THAT; it's gotta be way less. Zumba doesn't get me sore, and only barely out of breath; just sweaty. So take the best estimates you can find online, and try to compare that with how other exercises feel after a similar amount of time. It's better to under estimate, so you're not disappointed on the scale.