Zumba – a new way to work out

There are literally thousands of tried-and-true workout and exercise methods, but sometimes it can be difficult finding the one that works with you. If you're one of those people that can’t seem to find the right kind of exercise to keep you motivated and involved, maybe Zumba is just what you're looking for. Zumba is a relatively recent program inspired by Latin dance and musical rhythms to make working out more fun and energizing than the dull drudgery that exercise can be. Started in the mid-90s by celebrity fitness trainer Beto Perez, Zumba was actually created through an inadvertent music mix-up.

Perez had forgotten to bring his aerobics music to an aerobics class, and had to resort to the music in his backpack. A mix of traditional Latin salsa and merengue music. Improvising a whole class using this non-traditional aerobics music, Perez developed Zumba on the spot dash; and it soon became the most popular class at his gym. Zumba routines involve interval-training sessions, with fast and slow rhythms and resistance training combined to help tone and sculpt the body while burning fat at the same time. Now Zumba is being taught at over 90,000 locations in 110 countries, and millions of Zumba DVDs have been sold spreading Perez's gospel. Perez trademarked the Zumba name in 1999 and partnered with entrepreneurs Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion to create a global company based on his fitness philosophy. Since then, Zumba has appeared on infomercials, on cereal boxes and has even started its own training center, the the Zumba Academy.

It educates Zumba instructors on the program and philosophy, as well as adhering to the guidelines of many professional fitness organizations, from the AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) to ACE (American Council on Exercise) and IDEA (the world's largest association for fitness professionals). And it'rsquo;s even spawned a Zumba Fitness video game for various gaming systems, too. If this sounds like the type of workout that would work for you, or if you're a fitness instructor interested in learning how you can teach Zumba, too, for more information visit zumba.com