Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter
Participants at the Shakti Mind Body and Fitness Centre working out at zumba class.
WANT TO lose weight and have a whale of a time too? Zumba is the answer. It is a fusion of Latin and international music and dance forms creating a dynamic, exciting, effective fitness system. The routine features aerobic and fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body.
Zumba also combines high energy and motivating music with unique moves and combinations that allow participants to dance away their worries. It is based on the principle that a workout should be fun and easy to do. Plus, it utilises the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximise caloric output, fat burning and total body toning. It is a mixture of body sculpting movements with easy-to-follow dance steps. If you do not know how to dance or you are not very coordinated, zumba is perfect for you, as it creates a party-like atmosphere.
Colombian fitness trainer, Alberto Perez, better known as 'Beto', in mid-1990 created zumba. His inspiration for the exercise was accidental, as one day he forgot his regular music for class. He was faced with the challenge of improving a completely new type of class with one of his personal tapes. He created a class using the traditional Latin music and dance movements that he had been raised with and loved. From then his class was in high demand and became the most attended at the health club.
Zumba is currently popular in the United States but it is just catching on here in Jamaica. Sharon Feanny, owner of Shakti Mind Body and Fitness Centre, found out about it while she was there and thought it would be a great idea to include it at Shakti. She sent Nina Miskovsky, an instructor at Shakti, to the United States to become a certified zumba trainer. Shakti is now the only fitness centre to be teaching it.
GREAT ADDITION
The routine is a great addition to the many types of exercise being practised across the island, and its many benefits include:
1. Great dynamic core work-out for the abs and back muscles. It uses moves throughout the class that require high control of the mid-section (abs and back).
2. It aids in tightening that results in a more defined torso.
3. It allows high caloric expenditure and great fat-burning exercise.
4. Weight loss may occur when combined with a well-balanced nutrition programme and if done consistently (at least three times per week).
5. Zumba will potentially reshape all parts of the body, including mid-section and arms, and is beneficial to the heart and mind. It has many hip movements, allowing participants to be happy with the potential results in this area.
