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Surfing requires agility and strength. So, it’s important to get in shape before you paddle out. Running and weight lifting are obvious ways to do it. But, SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel discovered another great way to keep your body strong and limber – Zumba, the Latin exercise-dance with the pounding beat.
Zumba combines Latin dance steps and aerobic elements into a heart-pounding, one-hour workout that includes martial arts moves, squats and lunges. Throw in a touch of belly dance and Bollywood-style pizzazz and you’ve got it. You’ll not only tone your body, but burn calories, too. A typical Zumba session can easily burn between 500 – 1000 calories.
To get a taste of Zumba ourselves, we joined the crowd lined up for Sabella Curtis’ class at the 24-hr Fitness Club in Los Alamitos at 4951Katella Avenue. Curtis has Panamanian roots and really knows how to crank up the energy level on the exercise floor. “You’ll get a good sweat,” she says, “without knowing you’re working out.”
In addition to leading students in the various moves, Curtis likes to give them some information on where the music comes from…and get them to use their imagination to envision themselves in the different countries, instead of just seeing the exercise room. She tells them, “Look around at the scenery…let’s samba on the beach in Rio…do the meringue in the Dominican Republic…salsa in Cuba.” Curtis told us, “I’ll say, ‘Do you have your passport? We’re traveling today.’”
We found out that there are different types of Zumba so you can pick the one that is best for you. For example, Zumba Toning includes targeted body-sculpting exercises. There’s Zumba for kids and even an Aqua Zumba “pool party” that adds splashing to the mix in a water-based, cardio workout. That sounded like something the SurfWriter Girls should try.
Curtis jokes that “Doing Zumba is also like going to a wedding and dancing all night. You’ve got the meringue, salsa, cumbia, and cha, cha, cha. But, the ladies don’t have to wear high heels…and you don’t even need to bring a gift.”
After an hour of Zumba the SurfWriter Girls definitely felt like we had exercised all the muscles in our bodies and gotten in a good cardio workout. Instead of being tired, though, we were energized and ready for anything – to hit the beach or head out to our next Surfrider event.
Given the dance moves, it’s no surprise that women are packing the exercise rooms at fitness clubs to take Zumba classes. Lately, though, more and more guys are giving it a try – husbands joining their wives and boyfriends and girlfriends showing up together. The varied workout and party feel of the classes is a big draw. In fact, Zumba’s slogan is: “Ditch the workout, join the party.”
Since it was created in 2001 Zumba has grown to the point that it is now taught in gyms and studios all over the world. SurfWriter Girls learned that currently more than 12 million people take weekly Zumba classes in more than 125 countries.
Curtis says, in order to have a good workout, she has Three Rules for her students:
· You have to have a good time.
· You can’t worry about mistakes.
· You have to smile…you’ll burn 10% more calories that way.
With men starting to show up in her Zumba classes, Curtis tests some of the exercise routines on her husband Robby. “If he can do it, I know that my students can,” says Curtis. She welcomes the influx of men into the classes, adding, “Zumba is a great way for them to get in a workout…and to meet women.”
In addition to 24-Hour Fitness, Curtis also teaches Zumba classes at Linda Buell’s Dance Studio in Lakewood at 20942 Bloomfield Avenue. To find out about class times, contact the studio at 562-402-6878 or www.lindabuellsdance.com Another way to find a Zumba class near you is to go to www.zumba.com
With over 100,000 Zumba class locations worldwide, there is sure to be one close by. You can even Zumba at home with the video game, available on Wii, Xbox and PS3.
So, as Sabella Curtis says, “Grab your passport and go!”
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