You gotta shake it. You gotta move it. You gotta leave some of your inhibitions at the door.
Part dance, part aerobics--- Zumba will whip you in to shape with it's mix of fast and slow rhythms and resistance training designed to tone and sculpt your body all while burning off fat.
“It’s so exhilarating there’s just moves that make it fun to work out and you don’t realize you’re working out; you’re just having a good time,” a Zumba enthusiast at the Aquatic Fitness Center in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. told NBC 10 reporter, Lu Ann Cahn.
Founder, Beto Perez, accidentally discovered this hour-long workout in the mid 1990s after he forgot all his usual aerobics music for class one day, according to Zumba.com. Ay Carumba! So, he improvised.
Perez took all the tapes (Yes, cassette tapes were still around then, although on the decline) he had in his car, from Latin salsa to meringue music, and made-up a whole new workout, right on the spot.
Perez rose to the occasion and, as a result, so did Zumba!
Zumba originated in Colombia, South America and, after much success, spread to the United States in 1999.
Health
Between 2003 and 2004, a tag team effort by Zumba and Kellogg’s along with an infomercial helped to get the word out about this lively, dynamic workout to the Hispanic and Latin America markets. The infomercial, which was targeted specifically for the Hispanic and Latin America markets, triggered the increase of DVD sales to more than $2.5 million in over 30 countries!
By 2007, Zumba had finally danced it's way, internationally, to the rest of the world!
So, you ask, what about now? It’s 2008, soon-to-be 2009. What’s Zumba up to these days? Well, it’s still expanding, still growing, still movin' and shakin'! Find a class near you.
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” another Zumba devotee told Cahn.
For more information about the history of Zumba go to Zumba.com.
