Home
Mixing It UpA look at some alternatives for personal fitness
Zumba Finds Its GrooveIs it a work out if you're having fun?Part aerobic workout and part salsa dance class, Zumba is the newest exercise craze sweeping gyms and other fitness halls across the country. But don't be misled, Zumba isn't a Latin American infused version of Richard Simmons's "Sweatin' to the Oldies," and you don't have to know your way around the merengue to break a sweat. Though Zumba has been around for over a decade, the practice didn't start flourishing in parts of America, and other parts of the world, until about three years ago. The exercise originated in Columbia, according to Zumba lore, after aerobic instructor Beto Perez forgot the music for his class and simply defaulted to a salsa tape he had in his car. Serendipitously, the class was a success and participants liked the setup – soon Perez's classes were booked solid. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Perez finally got Zumba a solid footing in Miami, where the exercise began making its way north.
"There isn't a way you have to do your class. It's freestyle – there are basics, but you get to make it as fun as you want or as strict as you want," she said. "There is a general idea, but everybody is different." Another facet to Zumba's popularity, of course, is the dancing. Beard says the trick is making sure people are more concerned with having fun than they are about burning calories. "In the end, I think it got popular because you're into the music, you don't really recognize you're working out. You're dancing, but you're really working out," she said. Along with being a certified Zumba instructor for the past three years, as well as a ballroom dance instructor, Beard, a native of Peru, started Zumba Kids here in Lexington, a program where she goes to Fayette County schools and leads kids not only through a Zumba session, but also through the Latin American cultures from where the music and dances originate. "My niche has always been cultural. As much as I love exercising, I think it's important to educate children and adults about cultural differences," she said. "I get an opportunity to share who I am. I have always been proud of being Latino." Zumba classes of all levels of expertise are offered in many venues throughout Lexington. An extensive listing is available by searching www.zumba.com. To see a listing of Beard's upcoming classes, visit www.zumbakids.com. – Robbie Clark |
There are no Items to display
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
