The persistent beat of Zumba Fitness

Zumba classes, available four days a week, continue to excel in attendance after five years on campus

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Zumba Fitness classes are taught in the upper-level of Centennial Center and are available for free Monday through Thursday at various time offer anyone an opportunity to get a good workout while dancing.

Once referred to as a “happy accident,” the global fitness phenomenon, Zumba, started in an unlikely way, but has quickly grown in popularity. In the mid-90s in Cali, Colombia, Alberto “Beto” Perez discovered his “accident.” At a fitness structure, Beto was rushing to teach his aerobic class and forgot his traditional workout music. He gathered tapes from his car and created an inventive new dance, teaching a new move to each new beat he encountered: the birth of Zumba.

According to zumba.com, zumba is in 125 countries and taught in 110,000 locations.

Zumba is the world’s largest dance-fitness program. Introduced to Americans in 2001, the program took over the nation and dominated universities. The Latin inspired dance has been a part of Georgia College for five years taking place Monday through Thursday at different time slots, giving vast options for attendees. The many class times are being taken advantage of early in the Fall semester. “Last Thursday’s class was packed,” professor of psychology Dr. John Lindsay said, who has been attending classes for five years. Lindsay taught aerobics for 17 years and does not mind the large crowds at the Centennial Center.

“The instructors get more excited the bigger the crowd,” Lindsay said.

Senior nursing major Casey Parker has been a part of the crowd since her freshman year..

“I love to dance,” Parker said. “It’s a great way to get a workout and not think about it.”

Senior biology major, Spanish minor Marissa Hicks is one of three instructors that teach the class. Each week their jobs are to raise the attendance number by pushing a strenuous atmosphere. “When you’re instructing you have to be more intense, just to get the other people to go up to the level you want them to,” Hicks said.

Hicks tries to keep her playlists from her MP3 player filled with current, fast-paced tracks to keep dancers motivated. “Some people, they’re not comfortable with it, and you have to make them,” Hicks said.

Hicks wants attendees to commit to the idea of a dance-workout because she knows real results. Hicks recalls a former instructor wearing a pedometer, or “step counter”. After one session, the instructor burned just below one thousand calories.

“You definitely work out every part of your body, whether you want to or not; sometimes we throw in a kick or punch,” Hicks said.

Implementing a workout can be problematic to students, especially due to scholastic schedules and social agendas.

Zumba offers DVDs and online components if you cannot make it to a class, but if you are on campus, attending will let you burn calories while you meet new people, all to the sounds of energetic Latin and hip-hop music.of energetic Latin and hip-hop music.

Posted by Taylor Lamb on Aug 25 2011. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.