By Eleni Kountouri C’2
Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s. Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC. The Brazilian pop singer Claudia Leitte has become the international ambassador to Zumba Fitness.
Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included. Approximately 15 million people take weekly Zumba classes in over 200,000 locations across 180 countries.
Classes
An instructor coaches a Zumba class in a fitness center.
Zumba classes are typically about an hour long and are taught by instructors licensed by Zumba Fitness. The exercises include music with fast and slow rhythms, as well as resistance training. The music comes from the following dance styles: cumbia, salsa, merengue, mambo, flamenco, chachacha, reggaeton, soca, samba, hip hop music, axé music and tango..
Because Zumba offers different options, proponents of the Zumba program claim that it is safe for all ages, meaning that anyone from age 0 to 100 can participate in this form of aerobic exercise. At least some of the classes are specifically aimed at elderly people, to help them build strength, improve motion and posture, and socialize.
Από
την Ελένη Κουντούρη Γ’2
Η λέξη Zumba, προέρχεται
από την αργό της Κολομβίας και σημαίνει «γρήγορα» και χρησιμοποιείται επίσης
για να περιγράψει την δράση των μελισσών σε μία κυψέλη όταν κουνάνε τα φτερά
τους για να ρίξουν τη θερμοκρασία. Είναι μία αερόβια μορφή άσκησης που
κινητήρια δύναμη της είναι οι λάτιν ρυθμοί που συνδυάζονται και με διεθνείς
ρυθμούς. Πρόκειται για ένα πρόγραμμα που αναμιγνύει βήματα χορών της Λατινικής
Αμερικής όπως σάλσα, μερένγκε, ρεγκετόν, κούμπια, σάμπα, καλύψο, τάνγκο κ.α. με
κινήσεις καρδιοαναπνευστικής άσκησης.
ZUMBA