Zumba is a dance-based exercise class that will leave you in a sweaty state of joy! The class is typically hour long. Upbeat dance music is played while your teacher guides you through fun, muscle building poses that are guaranteed to increase your heart rate! Zumba has many wonderful health benefits – once you read them, there will be nothing stopping you from attending your first class (or continuing your healthy Zumba practice).
- Mood-Enhancing: when you exercise and increase your heart rate, endorphins are naturally released, which cause an elevation in your mood for the following several hours. Beyond endorphins, in a Zumba class, you are moving your body in uplifting ways by jumping and dancing – a happy body translates to a happy mind! Plus, you will be listening to super fun music for an hour, which can only increase your happiness even more!
- Weight-Loss: for those of us that struggle with weight, Zumba is a fun and easy way to burn calories. In fact, WebMD reports that people burn an average of 369 calories in 60-minutes of Zumba – wow!
- Glowing Skin: the sweat you work-up during a Zumba class does more than just melt fat – it affects the health of your skin. When you sweat, you clear out your pores allowing your skin to breathe. And since your heart rate and breathing is accelerated during a Zumba class, the cells in your skin will be filled with ample amounts of oxygen. You will leave the class with a lovely after-Zumba glow.
- Stronger Bones: Zumba is considered a high-impact exercise since there is jumping involved. High-impact exercise helps your bones grow stronger, preventing osteoporosis. And if you add weights to your Zumba class, your bones will become even stronger! Broken, brittle bones will no longer be a worry for you.
- New Friends: when you dance with a group of people for an hour, you’re bound to make a few new friends! What better friends are there than like-minded people that just want to have fun? You may only get to exchange laughs and smiles during class, but there is always time before and after to get to know your new friends better. Plus, telling your friends “see you next class!” will greatly increase your chances of sticking to the healthy habit of Zumba practice.
That’s just the beginning of the bountiful benefits of Zumba! If you think I missed any other major benefits, please comment below. All this writing about Zumba is making me want to head to my own Zumba class… to start your own Zumba practice, check out Brick House Cardio Club.
