Exercise Before Zumba! It’s Important.

Zumba is the dance fitness craze that has taken the exercise world by storm, and attracted scores of exercise haters back to the fitness track! Zumba exercises are based on interval training, which involves fluctuating tempos and an interchange between rigorous and mild exercise routines. This fast paced dance workout routine can put a lot of stress on your muscles, especially if your body is not used to such an intense workout.

To avoid back pain and other painful injuries, make sure to perform the following exercises before you go for your Zumba class!

Warm Up Exercises

You can perform stretches, core exercises, endurance exercises or strengthening exercises to prepare your body for the cardio workout that is to follow in the Zumba class.

Stretches!

Stretching exercises are a simple and quick way to warm up your muscles and loosen up your body. Work on stretching the entire body: start with performing simple head rotation and shoulder rotation exercises, move on to arm and upper body stretches, and close the warm up with a few lunges and leg stretches to get that blood pumping.

Core Exercises!

Core exercises target your abdominal muscles. Performing exercises such as pushups, plank posture exercises and sit ups will strengthen your abdominal muscles and make the Zumba workout easier to do!  A firm, strong core also enhances your sense of balance and lowers the risk of suffering from lower back pain or injuries.

Endurance Exercises!

An hour long session of upbeat, energetic Zumba dancing is sure to require a great deal of stamina. Endurance exercises such as brisk walking, bicycling, swimming and exercising on the treadmill are effective ways of ensuring that your endurance levels stay up while you attempt demanding Zumba exercises.

Strengthening Exercises!

If Zumba workouts strengthen your body, why do you need to perform warm up strengthening exercises? Well, even though Zumba does strengthen your body, it can also put a lot of strain on your muscles especially if you are a beginner and are still getting used to the rapidly changing workout sequences. Using hand weights and ankle weights will encourage your muscles to get accustomed to withstanding pressure without succumbing to injuries. Additionally, you can also perform leg lifts to strengthen your leg muscles.

Conclusion

These exercises are an easy and effective way of preventing knee, hip, lower back and ankle injuries in Zumba class. It is especially important to perform warm-up exercises if you are attending your first class, since your body will not be used to the intense interval cardio training that is a focal feature of every Zumba workout!