Zumba - Calories Burned in 1 hour?

bjredo
bjredo Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
Any ideas on how many calories one would burn in a Zumb class that lasts hour? I used the Aerobic option under exercise since the site does not have a Zumba option.
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Replies

  • emhunter
    emhunter Posts: 1,212 Member
    I use a polar watch and I'm a 27 year old female. I usually burn about 650 calories in my zumba class.
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,243 Member
    I have a HRM and I tend to burn 350-400 cals per hour for Zumba. I've never gone over 425.
  • AmyBetty
    AmyBetty Posts: 18
    I just did a Zumba class this morning and my HRM says 610cal. I work fairly hard and get into it with a good sweat going.
  • bjredo
    bjredo Posts: 5
    Okay, thanks for the advice. What is an HRM? I need to get one. Thanks!
  • jenrusow
    jenrusow Posts: 17 Member
    I have a polar heart rate monitor (HRM) with chest strap and in my one house zumba class, I usually come in between 500-600. If I don't wear it, I typically count it as 500 on MFP.
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
    My zumba class is very difficult, when I would wear a HRM, I could burn anywhere from 400-600 cals in an hour
  • Erica27511
    Erica27511 Posts: 490 Member
    Wearing an HRM (heart rate monitor) WITH chest strap is the most accurate way of knowing. I burn 645 calories in a one hour class. That includes the last song which is a cool down.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Depends on your weight and how hard you try! There is a zumba calorie calculator online. Just google it!
  • MellyGibson
    MellyGibson Posts: 297 Member
    You can search "Zumba Calorie Calculator" online...it will give you a good approximation.

    :)
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    Okay, thanks for the advice. What is an HRM? I need to get one. Thanks!

    You can get one from Amazon
  • Beatlegirl66
    Beatlegirl66 Posts: 68 Member
    HRMs don't work for me because I take a beta blocker pill. My Zumba instructor told me that you burn between 700-900 calories in an hour of Zumba. I thought that seemed high, but then when I got Zumba 2 for the Wii, it said I was burning close to 50 calories a song.
  • muchadoaboutme2000
    muchadoaboutme2000 Posts: 86 Member
    There is a website that a lot of people use to calculate their Zumba calories but I feel like it TOTALLY overestimates. I basically take that number and the number of calories burned on here doing aerobic dance and work out the difference. There are some days I work much harder in class or the teacher decided she wanted us to pass out and there are some days where it drags slightly or we get the pregnant teacher. It all depends on the day. I am 5'8" and 240. There's a girl in my class who is within 2# of me and she burns 700/hr class. If I work hard in class, I say 700 if not, I go with a lower estimate but never under 600. Eventually I will get a HRM or a fitbit but for now, I'm guessing. I also think it makes a difference if you're doing it on your video game console vs a class. I work WAY harder in class. The group drives me. Either way, it's a great burn and SO much fun :)
  • Erica27511
    Erica27511 Posts: 490 Member
    You can search "Zumba Calorie Calculator" online...it will give you a good approximation.

    :)

    If you eat your exercise calories back, this may not be a good place to get the calories you burned from. It told me for low I burned 945, mid 1150 and high intensity 1280. WAYYYYYYY off.

    Wearing my HRM with chest strap has me burning 645. And I am at a high level intensity dripping in sweat
  • MellyGibson
    MellyGibson Posts: 297 Member
    You can search "Zumba Calorie Calculator" online...it will give you a good approximation.

    :)

    If you eat your exercise calories back, this may not be a good place to get the calories you burned from. It told me for low I burned 945, mid 1150 and high intensity 1280. WAYYYYYYY off.

    Wearing my HRM with chest strap has me burning 645. And I am at a high level intensity dripping in sweat

    Wow - for me it's pretty much spot on - maybe off by 50 cals or so (I use a HRM & FitBit). Good to know that it varies so much.
  • bjredo
    bjredo Posts: 5
    Thanks everyone for the tip on the HRM Calorie counter and your feedback on the Zumba class! My class is a solid one hour high intensity class so I think I may be on the high end of the calories burned scale. I appreciate it.
  • robhigareda
    robhigareda Posts: 47 Member
    I'm not trying to diss Zumba here, I think it's a perfectly valid workout class, but everyone always seems to way overestimate the calories burnt in Zumba, If you're lucky and you've been doing Zumba for a long time, know how to execute the moves and can actually keep up with the instructor, you might on an average 125lb girl burn 400-500 calories. I don't think anyone can burn 800 calories doing Zumba (unless you're very large)
  • marieautumn
    marieautumn Posts: 928 Member
    zumba isnt really that high impact...i wore my HRM and burned 340 in 1 hour....i usually burn 500+ on the treadmill for 1 hour walking at an incline.
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
    I'm not trying to diss Zumba here, I think it's a perfectly valid workout class, but everyone always seems to way overestimate the calories burnt in Zumba, If you're lucky and you've been doing Zumba for a long time, know how to execute the moves and can actually keep up with the instructor, you might on an average 125lb girl burn 400-500 calories. I don't think anyone can burn 800 calories doing Zumba (unless you're very large)

    As with everything, it depends on how much effort you put into it. According to my HRM, I burn (at my current weight) burn somewhere between 400-550 calories in a class. The class is an hour class, but the actual excercise time is around 50-55 minutes. I'm totally drenched in sweat by the end.

    That said, I generally underestimate the calories a bit, that way I don't worry that I've put down too many.
  • robhigareda
    robhigareda Posts: 47 Member
    Probably a good practice. I tend to prefer underestimating. :)
  • emhunter
    emhunter Posts: 1,212 Member
    I got my HRM/polar watch at bodytronics.com. They have them at the cheapest price! They are a MUST to track calories burned.
  • JuliePleasant
    JuliePleasant Posts: 72 Member
    I am going to a zumba class about 3 times a week. I weigh 143. I burn between 700 - 1000 calories per class. My instructor in very intense. I think it depends on your instructor and the effort you give. Hope this helps. I love Zumba:-)
  • chi18
    chi18 Posts: 95 Member
    Definitely get an HRM for Zumba if you can! I wore mine for a one hour class on Wednesday night and it said I burned 483 calories. Different instructor for a more intense one hour class yesterday and it said I burned 633 calories. It can vary so much from class to class, especially if the place you go has different instructors with different routines/paces/intensities.
  • rumpusparable
    rumpusparable Posts: 160
    According to zumbacalories.com and my HRM, I burn about 1000 calories an hour at my good Zumba place. I'm 5'3", 196lbs.
  • HDRockerCgirl
    HDRockerCgirl Posts: 3 Member
    I have a similar question. I am a 50 year old female, I use the polar heart rate monitor with chest strap. I hike at a local park up and hills, with fallen trees to climb over, some to duck under and some streams and ditches to jump across. For 1 hr 48 mins HRM says I burned 823 calories today. Says in zone for 48 mins, average HR was 136 and maximum was 169. Doesn't that sound like an awful lot of calories? I weigh 184 lbs. I mean how accurate is the polar and should I trust it?? Thanks for any advice.
    Barb
  • Fjcookie
    Fjcookie Posts: 48
    Depends on your weight and the intensity of the workout. I would get a calorie counting device that tracks calories during Zumba
  • LowFatMama
    LowFatMama Posts: 625 Member
    An HRM would be your best bet for accurate reading. But, until then go to http://caloriesburnedhq.com/zumba-calories-burned/
  • trudieburrell
    trudieburrell Posts: 8 Member
    I teach Zumba Fitness and I'm 50 years old and I weigh about 164 & I'm 5' 7.
    Teaching at an intermediate level I burn about 500 on avg.
  • trudieburrell
    trudieburrell Posts: 8 Member
    I trust he polar. I'm a fitness instructor and the polar is the most accurate in my opinion.
    I'm 50 too.
  • smarieallen85
    smarieallen85 Posts: 535 Member
    There is a zumba option on MFP
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    HRMs are only near accurate for steady state cardio activities with established oxygen uptake relationships established through lab testing. Zumba does not fall in that category.

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