Why Zumba is so good for you

Zumba emerged from Columbia back in the ‘90s, apparently entirely by accident. The story goes that a fitness instructor forgot his music one day so decided to play his favourite records from his car and simply dance away at the front of his class like he would in a bar. His fun-loving and free-wheeling take on exercising was an instant smash hit.

Zumba uses the energetic beats of music like salsa, rumba, tango and mambo to get you working up a sweat. It’s seriously infectious music that takes over your body and forces you to move – even if you have no sense of rhythm and two left feet (like some of the Neilson team)! Close your eyes, imagine you’re on the dance floor of a club in Bogotá or Rio, and let yourself go.

With an official tagline of ‘ditch the workout, join the party’, it’s no surprise that the lively spirit of Zumba is one of its biggest draws. Ask any Zumba fan, ‘what is Zumba good for?’ and fun is likely to come top of the list.

One of the loveliest things about this kind of genuinely relaxed atmosphere is that everybody is welcome. You don’t need any dance experience to give Zumba a go, just turn up and move to the music as best you can. There’s no judgement or competition here, just plenty of smiles.

So, you’ll have a great time at your Zumba class, but is all this dancing good exercise? That’s a resounding yes - just take a look at a professional dancer if you’re unsure.

A 60-minute Zumba class gives you a similar cardio workout to other medium intensity workouts, such as boxercise, cycling or circuits. The fact that classes are so much fun often means that you actually work harder than you would in other activities without realising it. Zumba music is cleverly selected to have around 145 beats per minute, setting a fast pace that will get you into the aerobic exercise zone.

On average, a class will burn at least 9 calories per minute (that’s over 500 for an hour-long session), see you working at around 80% of your maximum heart rate, and 60% VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake). The pace does vary throughout the class, so you’re likely to hit the anaerobic and fat-burning zones as well.

On top of that all that heart-pumping goodness, Zumba ticks plenty more boxes. For one, it improves flexibility and core strength, which in turn helps your balance and coordination. It also works on full-body strength and muscle toning. The best bit? You can transfer these benefits to any sport, making Zumba an ideal complement to any training regime.

While we know that exercise of any kind helps improve mental wellbeing, Zumba is right up there as a stress-reliever.

Why? Because your mind switches off to vivacious music, whilst your body gets busy moving to infectious beats. The result? You emerge feeling uplifted, relaxed and pumped full of those feel-good endorphins we all love so much.

If you’ve been enjoying Zumba for a while, you’ll know that the inclusive and social vibe of this rather special workout is great for making friends. It’s also been shown to increase confidence and lower inhibitions – and that’s great news for anyone who wants to feel a bit better about themselves.

Zumba will get you hooked. Whatever your initial goal - whether it’s losing a few pounds or improving core stability – it will quickly become irrelevant.

What keeps Zumba fans coming back for more is quite simple: it’s fun. There’s no better way to embed a healthy routine into your life than by finding an exercise class that you look forward to. So if you’re looking for a fitness class that will stick, Zumba is your best bet.

Feeling more energetic, comfortable in your body, sociable, coordinated, fitter and happier? That’s why Zumba is so popular. That’s why it’s so good for you.