#47 ZUMBA

Dance to great music and burn a ton of calories without even realizing it. Zumba, created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Pérez during the 1990s, is an adrenaline rush like no other! This dance class features high- and low- intensity intervals that help improve cardiovascular fitness while also enhancing balance, coordination, agility, and to some degree, strength, through the application of beginner- accessible choreography. ... Zumba was officially founded in the United Stated in 2001 by Alberto "Beto" Perez, a Colombian dancer who started the fitness class in the 90s in his home country. The dance fitness concept wasn't new when Zumba rose to fame, but the high energy fun of its classes was. Plus, Zumba's timing was ideal. In the early 2000s, large fitness centres, like 24 Hour Fitness and Lifetime Fitness were popping up everywhere, often including group fitness classes as a benefit of membership. These gyms were looking for unique classes to add to the draw of their clubs. At the same time, there was a growing focus on the concept of "fitness as fun" to keep members engaged and interested. Zumba effectively delivered on those needs and was overwhelmingly picked up as a regular class offering across the country. Classes consist of a series of Latin dance songs, each one with highly choreographed dance movements that build on each other. The first song offers a slower beat to help you get warmed up, with each successive song building in intensity and challenge, with a few lower intensity dance series built-in for recovery. The workout wraps up with a cool-down song.
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