As you probably already know, dancing is extremely popular right now. The social media app, Tik Tok, has become a place for people of all ages to express themselves through the art of dancing. But have you ever considered dancing for exercise? If so, attending a Zumba class is perfect for you.
A Zumba class is led by a certified instructor that guides you through a mix of high and low-intensity dance workouts. The purpose of this class is to raise your heart rate and boost your cardio endurance. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been attending Zumba classes up to four times a week and I have had the greatest time. I would recommend taking one of these classes to anyone and here’s why…
1. It Pushes You Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Many People are often hesitant to come to these classes because they are afraid that all eyes will be on them and they will embarrass themselves. That may be the case in some exercise classes but not in this one. In this class, you have to be engaged in the class and follow the instructor’s movements. Therefore, neither you nor anyone else has time to focus on anything else except what you are doing. In this environment, you are free to let loose and dance to your best ability. Even if you have never danced before or taken a Zumba class everyone is welcome and most classes accommodate all levels of experience.
2. It Is a Fun Way to Stay Active
Especially during the current pandemic, people are having a hard time trying to stay fit. If Zumba classes are offered in-person they are following the safety precautions such as: wearing masks, social distancing, and limiting the number of people that attend the class. Even if you are not able to attend a class in person they offer them online. Regardless, participating in a Zumba class is a must! Who doesn’t love dancing to fun, upbeat songs while burning calories? Unlike other workout classes that I have personally tried the class goes by in no time. You no longer have to constantly look at your watch in anticipation of when the class will be over. The instructor will keep you engaged and working the whole class to get the whole experience.
Your body, as well as your mind needs, exercise too! In a Zumba class, the instructor will be at the front of the class, doing the dance movements to the song in front of you. Usually, you will do the same combination or set of dance moves 4 to 5 times in one song. So you’re exercising your brain remembering what dance move comes after another when, how many times you do a certain dance move, etc. Throughout this experience especially if you’re new, you have to pay close attention to the instructor’s directions so you won’t be completely lost. It sounds a lot like school but, trust me it’s not excruciating. New members and old members will mess up or forget a movement and it’s no big deal. From there all you have to do is follow the instructor and pick up on the dance movements. Once you have gone to a couple of classes you will realize that the instructor will sometimes play a song to a dance you learned at the last class. This is when muscle memory kicks in and you can do the dance movements easier than you could the last time because you don’t have to focus on memory as much.
4. It’s a Stress Reliever
In the class, you can leave all your worries and problems at the door and just focus on dancing. Since you are constantly moving from one movement to the next you are obligated to just focus on what you are doing at the moment. However, if you do need to release some anger you can put all of those feelings into your dancing. You can intensify the energy you put into a dance step that makes you feel better. Taking a Zumba class or any workout class is a healthy way to let go and just focus on positive things.
5. The Instructors Are Remarkable
I believe that Zumba classes are solely successful because of the instructor. The majority of people that teach Zumba classes are very passionate about what they do. This makes the classes very gratifying because the instructors are so encouraging towards their students. They try to pick upbeat songs and dance moves to help their class enjoy what they are doing while they are exercising. Zumba instructors attempt to make their class environment positive from the moment they walk in the room by smiling and talking to their students.
