And you've heard that it makes working out and losing weight, lots of fun! And you've heard that it teaches you a lot of cool dance moves, drawing from Salsa, Cha Cha, Merengue, and other Latin styles.
Plus, one of it's best features is that it's non-judgmental. You can use your own style, following the instructor's moves but with your own, personal flair.
But does it work? Does it improve your fitness level and most importantly, help you to burn fat effectively?
This question was recently answered, during a study done by a team of Exercise Scientists.
The Scientific Results
The study was done with a group of all-female volunteers, (but the results most likely apply to males as well).
First, each participant was scientifically tested to establish her pre-Zumba fitness level.
Then, each participant wore a heart-rate monitor while working out in a standard Zumba session.
Finally, to make the results as truthful as possible, all sessions were taught by the same Zumba-certified instructor, while the session durations were varied in length (from half-hour to an hour).
When the study was over, they found that the average Zumba participant burned 369 calories (or 9.5 calories per minute). This is quite a high fat-burning rate!
Their average heart rate was 154 beats per minute (or about 80% of their maximum heart rate capacity). Recommended fitness guidelines state that you should be working out somewhere between 65% and 90% of your maximum, to burn fat and improve your cardio health level.
The scientists also scrutinized the heart-rate monitor recordings, and found that Zumba sessions resemble the best type of workout profile: the "Interval Training" type of workout. This means that Zumba burns much more bodyfat than steady-rate exercises, (like jogging, running, treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, etc).
In fact, Zumba was found to burn more calories than even step aerobics, power yoga, and kickboxing!
Conclusion
Overall, Zumba feels like a dance party, but your heart and bodyfat think it's a highly effective workout. You burn off a lot more fat than other forms of exercise and cardio classes, even though it's much easier and more enjoyable to do.
