As Tae-bo is a boxing-based fitness program, the latest fitness crazy Zumba is a dance-based fitness program.
Zumba is an absolutely awesome, invigorating and energetic way to get your heart rate going, burns nearly 1000 calories per hour and completely tones your muscles.
Zumba is basically an hour long class that begins with a warm up. The warm up is usually something to get your heart rate going gradually and the song is usually something very upbeat like something on the top 40 charts.
After the warm-up, the pain begins! The class is non-stop dancing and moving. Not like aerobics where it is repetitive and boring and strenuous.
Zumba will have you crawling the next day but while you are doing it you are having the time of your life.
Chances are while you will be gasping for breath, running for the water fountain and praying for the class to end you will still be having so much fun while you are doing it! After moving and dancing and shaking your groove thing for 45 minutes you will most likely have a 5-10 minute cool down. This will be the only time in the entire hour you will know your name. Usually the cool-down is to something pop and hip yet something slower like Coldplay or Ricky Martin ballads.
