Zumba

Zumba was created by Alberto "Beto" Perez, a Colombian celebrity fitness trainer. He discovered that he had forgotten to bring aerobics music to a class he was teaching and had to improvise. Using his personal collection of tapes, which included salsa and merengue music, he taught his aerobics class with a Latin flavor. It was a success. Perez brought the concept to the United States in 1999 and teamed up with Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion to take the Zumba concept global. In 2002, an infomercial deal helped the company do that. Zumba's success generated a demand for more instructors, and by 2006 there were more than 2,000 teachers around the world. As of July 2009, some 40,000 locations in 75 countries offer Zumba classes.

Zumba is essentially a fitness program that combines Latin music and easy-to-follow dance moves. Zumba routines incorporate interval training, alternating fast and slow rhythms and resistance training. Zumba's fans say it's so popular because Zumba is a fun way to work out. Some research indicates that dance-type aerobic workouts like Zumba can improve cardiopulmonary endurance when done at moderate intensity and duration. The bottom line is if you enjoy Zumba, you're more likely to stick with it — and more likely to enjoy the benefits of aerobic exercise.

Zumba is an aerobic exercise with several health benefits, which means it can be effective in a weight-loss program. Zumba routines rev up your metabolism and can burn 450 calories per hour. As with other aerobic exercises, when done properly, Zumba promotes cardiovascular health. The movements used in Zumba--such as salsa, merengue, cha-cha, mambo and Zumba shuffle steps--help tone muscles.

Zumba is successful because participants enjoy themselves. The Latin music and steps present a dramatic change from traditional aerobics routines. The tempo changes from slow to moderate to fast and back again. This allows even beginners to grasp the steps and keep up. Zumba feels more like an evening at a Latin dance club than an exercise program.

As with any other exercise routine, if a certain movement or position causes you pain, you should try to modify the workout to avoid the aggravating activities. And anytime you're training with resistance, remember that proper technique is paramount— don't get so caught up in the dance rhythm that you forget proper form.