In her efforts towards a healthy 2017, Zisanda Nkonkobe joins a Zumba class to see what all the hype is about
I’LL admit, I was skeptical when I first heard about an intense, all-body toning exercise routine that requires no gym membership, can be done with a group of friends in a community hall wearing comfortable clothes and involves dancing away fat, burning up to 1 000 calories in a single hour.
But this week I went anyway, dressed in my loosest fitting track pants, T-shirt and trainers and joined about 20 other women in a hall.
After a brief head count of the new members in the group, the instructor kicked the class off with a selection of Latin music, showing the class some basic steps to a dance routine.
I fumbled for a few minutes, going left when I should have gone right and tripping over my own feet while attempting some of the more complicated moves, but in no time I began to move in time with the rest of the class.
Intense doesn’t begin to cover it. I broke out in a sweat within seconds as I sashayed, krumped, stepped, jumped, kicked and clapped.
Zumba has got it all, from hip-hop moves to Salsa and cha-cha, all accompanied by a variety of loud beats to keep the class moving.
So lost was I in the workout, it came as a surprise when the instructor announced the hour was up. Slightly stiff but definitely happy, I have resolved to go back next week for more.
Luckily for me and for the hundreds of women in the city looking to join a Zumba class, my instructor is one of three based in East London who give weekly lessons.
Vicky Luff, owner of The Dynamic Body Studio, described Zumba as “a party with exercise in disguise where you basically work out while dancing”.
According to Luff, Zumba is a mixture of Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia and Reggaeton.
Instructors choose their own music to go with moves which they have the freedom to choreograph themselves, as long as they are based on the basic Zumba movement principals.
Luff said Zumba was the perfect workout for everyone from young to old, with no dancing background needed. Classes are kept to onehour sessions.
“The dance moves in Zumba are Latin-inspired, like the Merengue, the Salsa and the Cumbia. The Reggaeton is slightly different from those three and is more hip-hop inspired. With the Reggaeton the knees are bent and there’s some krumping involved.
With that move, you’re basically getting down,” she said.
“Zumba moves are both fast and slow but are easy enough for anyone to keep up with. First timers are easily able to follow.
“This workout is suitable for all genders and all ages and different fitness levels.
“It really is open for everyone and anyone can do this.”
Luff said an hour of Zumba was equal to running or walking 3.6km.
“This is a totally intense workout. It can burn up to 1 000 calories per one-hour session. You sweat and work your whole body without even realising you’re working out because you’re having such fun learning the dance moves.
“There’s a lot of leg work involved but it’s generally fairly easy to keep up. Even the unco ordinated can keep up. Sometimes I get people in my class who go left when I go right and that’s really okay.
“The first few classes are really about getting the basic steps right and there may be a lot of thinking involved but as long as people keep moving then it’s totally okay,” she said.
A study conducted by Kingston University and the University of the West of Scotland found that Zumba was more effective than Salsa in helping inactive women up their fitness levels.
In a story which appeared in the Huffington Post last year, writer Rachel Moss said the study was conducted on 24 healthy women between the ages of 22 to 56 who usually exercised once a week and did two Salsa classes and two Zumba classes over a two-week period.
“The women wore chest monitors and fitness wristbands throughout both classes,”