Zumba- The accent is on fun!

Your first impression? A mass of colors and unison movement (pretty typical for most aerobics classes) covering every corner of the room! The closer you get, you start to get this feeling … this rhythm … thrumming through and around you. The music? Well, the music sounds Latino … but there’s an almost-jungle-y feel to it … and it makes you wanna move.

Where are you? A Zumba class at the 24-Hour Super Sport in San Mateo, California.

And .... what is ‘Zumba’??

Founded a few years ago by Beto Perez, a Miami-based dancer and choreographer, Zumba is a low-impact, cardiovascular workout that combines a variety of Latino dances such as cumbia, merengue and reggaeton (a Spanish rock / hip-hop).

Featured on the Today Show in 2007, Zumba has quickly gained popularity across the United States and Japan; most recently with the Bay Area’s 24-Hour Fitness population. During a recent open house, the club held a Zumba party where more than 200 participants cha-cha’d and merengue’d their way across the club’s basketball court. Visitors as well as regulars and other club instructors got to experience first-hand the energy of Zumba.

The Class

The room is filled to capacity (a maximum of 54 bodies). Zumba classes (24-Hour had 15 at the time of this article) are in such high demand that attendees arrive an hour or more ahead of time just to reserve a spot. The class population is filled with women and men, from teens to seniors, beginners to regulars. I've heard tell that one of the regulars is in her mid-seventies! AWESOME! 

Miguel, the instructor, starts in a standard exercise class format -- instructor and class facing forward -- easing into a warm-up and stretching routine. Latino music, anything from an old cancion  to a reggaeton, gets you into the groove as it primes you for what's to come. Don't worry! No one's going to notice how you dance or how 'good' you are ... just  get ready to par-tayy!!

The class continues dancing through cha-chas, the merengue and cumbia then shifts from facing forward to splitting down the middle, facing each other in what they call a salsa battle.Face to face like Westside Story, the two groups continue to 'battle', sweat dripping over their smiling faces … ‘smiling’?? Yup! From what I could see, everyone seemed to be having a great time and, after class, I got to find out why.

Class members

Catching a handful of participants before they left, I learned that Zumba has only been offered at 24-Hour Fitness since 2008 and in that relatively short span of time, members have aleady seen all sorts of results ... from weight loss and toning to stamina and flexibility, even a happier, more positive state of mind all seems to keep Zumba fanatics coming back for more.

Joanne Norris, Angie Ibarra and Maria Valderama, all six-month veterans of the class, each had their own goals and all have noticed measurable results over that short time span. Joanne, looking for a little 'escape' time, has become more toned and feels more energized. Six months ago, Angie was out of shape and looking for some sort of 'cardio' exercise; in the process, she's lost 20 pounds! Maria, diagnosed with diabetes, wanted to make a change in lifestyle. She says she's 'only' lost 6 pounds so far but she feels happier because she's building her stamina, making herself healthier.

Melissa Suits and Karen Glomb have been members of the Zumba class for the past three months. Melissa thinks Miguel is a great instructor! He 'pays' attention to the class; checks to see how many newbies there are, in case he needs to modify or just slow it down a bit, and he is a great motivator! Karen is an experienced dancer who's also taken kickboxing classes. She has seen definite results in the toning of her abs and back.

Yvette Ortega has been involved with Zumba since July of 2008 and seen a great improvement in her overall toning. She enjoys Zumba so much that she sometimes takes as many as three classes in one day!

The Instructor

As one of the newest members of the Group X classes, Zumba instructor, Miguel Mendoza, brings his own flair to the dance by throwing a bit of bellydance and Bollywood in the mix along with the Latino flavor. The result is a fun, energetic workout for young AND old that keeps you entertained, enthused and energized.

 Miguel has been certified twice as a Zumba instructor; he continues to take new training classes to update and expand his skills and looks for new ideas every chance he gets.

'Zumba Kids' a weapon to fight childhood obesity.

Recently, Miguel started a new class: Zumba Kids.

The Zumba Kids class takes the basic moves used in the regular Zumba class and puts them to popular young music such as Mambo #5, Hannah Montana, and High School Musical . Zumba Kids is designed for youngsters 5 to 12 years of age in the hopes of helping them develop healthier lifestyle habits such as choosing sports, running, dancing, just any kind of moving activity instead of opting to sit in front of the computer or TV.

The dance is easy and the rhythms are familiar to most youngsters and the ultimate goal? A healthier, more well-rounded next generation.

Is Zumba for you?

On the drizzly Sunday morning when I did the interviews for this piece, I observed not only the members of the class but the members in the gym as many stopped more than a few times to watch in interest as the party rolled on.  Zumba not only raised the energy level of the class inside but the aroused the curiosity of more than a few club members on the outside.

Wonder how many of them will appease their curiosity?