7 Reasons You Should Take Up Zumba in the New Year

Getting in perfect shape is everyone’s dream. The zeal and enthusiasm to work towards that goal, though? Whole different story! As much as we know that exercise is important for our body, not everyone is quite fond of it. Hitting the gym may not be everybody’s cup of tea; with all those complicated machines, and things like reps and sets and routines to remember, there seems to be too much effort involved to lose weight! When it comes to regular forms of exercise, though, there’s not much novelty involved either.

This is precisely why Zumba will become your favourite fitness routine to try out this year!

What is Zumba?

Created in the 1990s by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto Perez, Zumba involves dance and aerobic movements, largely influenced by various Latin-American dance styles among others. The music played is energetic (Bollywood numbers are played too!) and sometimes, exercises like squats and lunges are also worked into the choreography. While it looks like it’s all fun and games, this medium-intensity workout provides your body with plenty of health benefits. In fact, people who detest exercise are slowly sashaying their way into Zumba because of how fun it is! If you’re one of those people or you’re just looking for a change in fitness routines, this is why you should give Zumba a try!

7 Benefits of Taking Up Zumba

With the 7 health benefits it offers, this is why Zumba is going to be your new favourite exercise!

1. Zumba Lets You Dance Your Way to Good Health

Dancing reduces levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body, which is why you feel so good after grooving to some music. Zumba doesn’t require you to be an exceptionally talented dancer to make the best of the activity. As long as you’re moving your feet (and your hips and glutes too!) in time with the music, your enthusiasm will be just enough! Spend 60 minutes in a Zumba class and you’d be burning approximately 370 calories while having a ball of a time!

2. It’s a Full-body Workout

While the arms aren’t targeted in a traditional Zumba routine, plenty of key areas of the body sure are. Your core is strengthened because a lot of the moves involve the hips and the midsection of the body. Your legs and glutes are also sure to feel the burn as you perform some of the moves which work the hamstrings and quads. After a couple of classes, you’re definitely going to notice a remarkable difference in your flexibility and strength.

3. Zumba is Pretty Low-maintenance

If you’re going to join Zumba classes that are led by an instructor, you’ll probably have to work out in a fitness studio. But you can also follow videos available online or on DVDs and work out at home. As for equipment, well, put on your comfortable sports shoes that will allow for some dance movements, some fitness wear that will accommodate your energetic moves, and that’s it! However, be warned – when we say ‘low-maintenance’, we mean that you don’t need much preparation or equipment for a Zumba workout. You definitely need all the energy you can muster, though!

4. It Helps Build Endurance

A couple of classes down the line, your endurance levels will go up – basically, the amount of oxygen you take in while performing a high-intensity activity will increase. It is perfect for when you’ll need that extra jolt of energy to chase after your little one who refuses to eat his dinner!

5. Zumba is a Social Activity

When you join Zumba classes, you’ll notice that most of the people attending would be regulars, because who can keep away from Zumba once it reels you in with its fun factor? You get to make friends with these people in between all the dancing, clapping, and ‘WOO’ing you’ll be busy with! Additionally, it gives you an extra incentive to not miss a single class.

6. It Will Help Boost Your Mood

Since your cortisol levels go down, your stress levels will be kept at bay. It also helps release endorphins which trigger feelings of positivity, making you feel pretty darn good about yourself and the way you look! And since you’ll be in the midst of like-minded people who want to have fun, the general mood of the group is sure to rub off on you too!

7. Zumba Helps With Serious Health Problems As Well

When it comes to heart health, Zumba helps increase aerobic capacity, which is a measure of cardiovascular fitness. It also reduces blood pressure, lowers bad cholesterol, and leads to a drop in your blood sugar levels, which is useful for diabetics.

With these 7 benefits, we’re sure that Zumba is looking more tempting than ever. Remember, you take out so much time for your family and external commitments; you owe it to yourself to prioritise your good health and happiness. And if exercise is going to help you catch two birds with one stone, i.e. if you can achieve good health and happiness with Zumba, then why not give it a go this year?

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