Zumba goes with the flow, a flow nearly as hot as lava

By Marjie Gilliam
Road to Fitness

Looking for a new, fun and effective workout? How about zumba?

"We love it, love it, love it! It's put the fun back into our workouts," exclaims Doug and Joan Jones, a husband-and-wife team certified in zumba instruction.

Doug Jones won Mr. Dayton and was second in the Mr. Ohio competition in 1991, and is an accomplished black belt in tae kwon do, having placed second in the nation in the Junior Olympics. Joan Jones is a personal trainer. Doug says that discovering zumba is the best thing he has done.

The name zumba comes from a Colombian expression that means to move fast and have fun.

Zumba is a spicy mix of flamenco, belly dancing, tango, salsa, hip-hop and calypso, a mixture of body-sculpting moves and easy-to-follow dance steps.

Zumba was created by Alberto "Beto" Perez, who, as a boy, was dancing on the streets of his Colombian homeland to make a living. He took his talents to the United States and has since developed his skills into a phenomenal dance and fitness career. Perez, who goes by the single name Beto and lives in South Beach, Fla., has become a sought-after choreographer of music superstars such as Shakira.

"You don't have to know how to dance to do zumba," the Joneses say. "Because it's so much fun, it is much less intimidating for participants who may not feel as coordinated. Students know that they can just go with the flow and enjoy the party. Because of the hot, sexy and explosive Latin and exotic music rhythms that make up zumba, participants are motivated to return again and again."

They say zumba is fun, different, easy and very effective as a workout.

"Our biggest drive in doing this is the happiness and results we have seen for our students. Wherever we teach, it seems to create the same vibe at every place. It is definitely as good mentally as it is physically."

Kristin Nelson, a zumba instructor at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, agrees. She teaches 13 classes a week and says the popularity of the classes is growing tremendously. Classes that originally began with four or five students have grown to nearly 30.

"It is truly amazing. Zumba is the best," she says.

Zumba's combination of Latin and international music and dance themes create a dynamic workout. Routines feature aerobic/fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body. Zumba utilizes the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximize calorie burning, fat burning and total-body toning. It targets areas such as glutes, legs, arms, abdominals and the most important muscle in the body, the heart.

"Zumba has all the benefits of most cardiovascular workouts. It is just a different, fun option. We say it tricks people into exercise, because it doesn't feel like the usual exercise routine," the Joneses say.

If you're looking for a zumba class, you have your choice of more than 30 classes each week at local dance studios, gyms and YMCAs throughout the Miami Valley. Classes are an hour of continuous cardio interval training with a Latin-dance flair.

If you would like to try a class or become a certified instructor, go online to zumbaohio.com for a schedule of classes, or call 689-7572 for more information.

Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Association master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. She owns Custom Fitness Personal Training Services. Write to her in care of the Dayton Daily News or contact her at (937) 878-9018 or by e-mail at OHTrainer@aol.com. Her Web site is www.ohtrainer.com.