Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Does Zumba Work?11 Zumba BenefitsWho It Can HelpWho Should Avoid Zumba?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Does Zumba Work?
11 Zumba Benefits
Who It Can Help
Who Should Avoid Zumba?
Zumba is a workout that combines principles fromaerobic exercisesand salsa dancing. Many benefits are associated with this type of workout, including improved mood and quality of life, maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism, and increasing the pain threshold.
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Zumba is a combinational class exercise done in groups. It combines the high-level activity of bothdanceand aerobics to create a fun and effective workout class. The instructor choreographs each move as music plays in the background.
The class begins with a slower tempo to warm up the muscles before introducing more lively and faster beats that increase in intensity as the class progresses. The exercise is wrapped up with lower-intensity recovery movements to cool the body down.
How Often Should You Do Zumba?You can do a Zumba class as often as you’d like, but even just one class per week can help improve your overall fitness level. It’s generally recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, which can be achieved through three one-hour classes.
How Often Should You Do Zumba?
You can do a Zumba class as often as you’d like, but even just one class per week can help improve your overall fitness level. It’s generally recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, which can be achieved through three one-hour classes.
Zumba provides many health benefits because of the type of exercise it is and because it is done in groups, creating a sense of community. The benefits include:
Full-Body Workout
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: How to Benefit From Both
Burns Calories and Fat
Aerobic exercises and dancing are great for burning calories and fat, making Zumba an excellent exercise if you want to maintain or lose weight. Research on the effectiveness of Zumba has found that participants burn an average of 360 calories per class.
Builds Endurance
Your endurance is dependent on two things: heart health and muscular health. Since Zumba helps in both areas, it can increase endurance in those who attend classes regularly.
One study examined participants in a 12-week Zumba class program to assess their heart rate andsystolic blood pressure, both health parameters that play a role in endurance. The results showed that those who completed the program were able to decrease both heart rate and blood pressure, leading to increased endurance.
Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
Cardiovascular fitness benefits greatly from regular exercise. While other forms of exercise, such as jogging, walking, and swimming, can all help improve your cardiovascular fitness, Zumba is another option that makes working out more fun.
People who want to improve theircardiovascular healthshould aim for between 64% and 94% of their maximum heart rate and 40% to 85% of their maximum volume of oxygen.An older study from 2012 showed that Zumba can help you reach both goals, with maximum heart rates of around 79% and maximum volume of oxygen sitting at 66% after one Zumba class.
Zumba vs. Other Aerobic ExercisesIf you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness, doing any aerobic exercise that helps you hit the above-mentioned numbers will get you there. That said, Zumba also provides many other benefits and can be more enjoyable than typical cardio workouts.
Zumba vs. Other Aerobic Exercises
If you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness, doing any aerobic exercise that helps you hit the above-mentioned numbers will get you there. That said, Zumba also provides many other benefits and can be more enjoyable than typical cardio workouts.
The Best Exercises to Lower Cholesterol
Decreases Blood Pressure
Havinghigh blood pressure (hypertension)can driveheart diseaseand other adverse health complications. Research shows that Zumba can decrease overall blood pressure in as little as 17 classes over a 12-week period.
What’s Normal Blood Pressure After Exercise?
May Increase Your Pain Threshold
Chronic painis a highly prevalent ailment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 50 million U.S. adults experience chronic pain.
Research on Zumba found that, after a 12-week program, participants experienced an overall decrease in pain severity. It also prevented pain from interfering with daily tasks that can often occur due to chronic pain.
It is important to note that results may vary regarding pain relief, and Zumba is not a chronic pain treatment. If you have chronic pain because of a health condition, you should always speak to a healthcare provider before starting a new exercise routine.
Assists in Metabolic Health
Because of the way Zumba targets many muscle groups simultaneously, it can help build and maintain lean muscle.
The more lean muscle your body has, the better your metabolic health will be. Improving your muscle mass will also help reduce your risk of developing variousmetabolic disordersdue to low skeletal muscle mass.
Improves Mood
How Does Exercise Improve Mood?Doing aerobic exercises, such as Zumba, can impact mood because these movements, when done regularly, help to regulate the stress response in the body.
How Does Exercise Improve Mood?
Doing aerobic exercises, such as Zumba, can impact mood because these movements, when done regularly, help to regulate the stress response in the body.
Improves Cognition
Brain health can also benefit from Zumba exercises. Research shows that when people engage in regular aerobic exercises that get the heart pumping and the body moving, even if for a short time each day,executive function(a set of cognitive processes, or mental skills) is improved.
The cognitive processes that benefit from Zumba exercise the most are:
Offers a Way to Socialize
Many exercises are done solo, but Zumba is performed in a group setting unless you opt in through at-home classes. This helps people socialize more with like-minded individuals, creating a sense of belonging and community.
Other Ways Group Exercise is BeneficialAccording to research, group exercises can benefit a person in various ways, including:Achieving balanced physical and mental healthEncouraging and improving social connectionsCreating a group of mutually supportive people with similar goalsImproves a person’s ability to maintain a routine that helps with sleeping patterns
Other Ways Group Exercise is Beneficial
According to research, group exercises can benefit a person in various ways, including:Achieving balanced physical and mental healthEncouraging and improving social connectionsCreating a group of mutually supportive people with similar goalsImproves a person’s ability to maintain a routine that helps with sleeping patterns
According to research, group exercises can benefit a person in various ways, including:
Helps Improve Your Quality of Life
Quality of life revolves around several factors, including physical, mental health, and social connections. Since Zumba works to improve several of these markers, it can improve your overall quality of life when practiced regularly.
Who Could Benefit From Starting a Zumba Routine?
Anyone looking to incorporate more movement into their lives can benefit from Zumba as long as they don’t have any health conditions preventing them from engaging in high-intensity workouts.
Other possible scenarios that could prevent you from taking Zumba classes include:
Overexercising and the Risk for Atrial Fibrillation
Summary
Zumba is an excellent high-intensity dance workout for all fitness levels. It provides many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving endurance and pain tolerance, and encouraging social interaction.
Almost anyone can enjoy Zumba classes to help achieve their overall health and fitness goals. That said, you should always speak to a healthcare provider before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have a chronic disease that affects your lungs and heart.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.ACE Fitness.Zumba fitness: Sure it’s fun but is it effective?Dalleck LC, Roos KA, Byrd BR, Weatherwax RM.Zumba Gold: Are The Physiological Responses Sufficient to Improve Fitness in Middle-Age to Older Adults?J Sports Sci Med.2015 Aug 11;14(3):689-90.Cugusi L, Wilson B, Serpe R, Medda A, Deidda M, Gabba S, Satta G, Chiappori P, Mercuro G; Working Group of Gender Cardiovascular Disease of the Italian Society of Cardiology.Cardiovascular effects, body composition, quality of life and pain after a Zumba fitness program in Italian overweight women.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2016 Mar;56(3):328-35.University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Target heart rate for exercise.Luettgen M, Foster C, Doberstein S, Mikat R, Porcari J.Zumba: is the “fitness-party” a good workout?J Sports Sci Med.2012 Jun 1;11(2):357-8.Araneta MR, Tanori D.Benefits of Zumba Fitness among sedentary adults with components of the metabolic syndrome: A pilot study.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2015 Oct;55(10):1227-33.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Pain Among Adults — United States, 2019-2021.Kim G, Kim JH.Impact of skeletal muscle mass on metabolic health.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul).2020 Mar;35(1):1-6. doi:10.3803/EnM.2020.35.1.1.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.More evidence that exercise can boost mood.Basso JC, Suzuki WA.The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review.Brain Plast.2017 Mar 28;2(2):127-152. doi:10.3233/BPL-160040Komatsu H, Yagasaki K, Saito Y, Oguma Y.Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.BMC Geriatr.2017 Aug 22;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0584-3Proliance Surgeons Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.Zumba craze and injury prevention.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.ACE Fitness.Zumba fitness: Sure it’s fun but is it effective?Dalleck LC, Roos KA, Byrd BR, Weatherwax RM.Zumba Gold: Are The Physiological Responses Sufficient to Improve Fitness in Middle-Age to Older Adults?J Sports Sci Med.2015 Aug 11;14(3):689-90.Cugusi L, Wilson B, Serpe R, Medda A, Deidda M, Gabba S, Satta G, Chiappori P, Mercuro G; Working Group of Gender Cardiovascular Disease of the Italian Society of Cardiology.Cardiovascular effects, body composition, quality of life and pain after a Zumba fitness program in Italian overweight women.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2016 Mar;56(3):328-35.University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Target heart rate for exercise.Luettgen M, Foster C, Doberstein S, Mikat R, Porcari J.Zumba: is the “fitness-party” a good workout?J Sports Sci Med.2012 Jun 1;11(2):357-8.Araneta MR, Tanori D.Benefits of Zumba Fitness among sedentary adults with components of the metabolic syndrome: A pilot study.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2015 Oct;55(10):1227-33.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Pain Among Adults — United States, 2019-2021.Kim G, Kim JH.Impact of skeletal muscle mass on metabolic health.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul).2020 Mar;35(1):1-6. doi:10.3803/EnM.2020.35.1.1.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.More evidence that exercise can boost mood.Basso JC, Suzuki WA.The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review.Brain Plast.2017 Mar 28;2(2):127-152. doi:10.3233/BPL-160040Komatsu H, Yagasaki K, Saito Y, Oguma Y.Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.BMC Geriatr.2017 Aug 22;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0584-3Proliance Surgeons Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.Zumba craze and injury prevention.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.ACE Fitness.Zumba fitness: Sure it’s fun but is it effective?Dalleck LC, Roos KA, Byrd BR, Weatherwax RM.Zumba Gold: Are The Physiological Responses Sufficient to Improve Fitness in Middle-Age to Older Adults?J Sports Sci Med.2015 Aug 11;14(3):689-90.Cugusi L, Wilson B, Serpe R, Medda A, Deidda M, Gabba S, Satta G, Chiappori P, Mercuro G; Working Group of Gender Cardiovascular Disease of the Italian Society of Cardiology.Cardiovascular effects, body composition, quality of life and pain after a Zumba fitness program in Italian overweight women.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2016 Mar;56(3):328-35.University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Target heart rate for exercise.Luettgen M, Foster C, Doberstein S, Mikat R, Porcari J.Zumba: is the “fitness-party” a good workout?J Sports Sci Med.2012 Jun 1;11(2):357-8.Araneta MR, Tanori D.Benefits of Zumba Fitness among sedentary adults with components of the metabolic syndrome: A pilot study.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2015 Oct;55(10):1227-33.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Pain Among Adults — United States, 2019-2021.Kim G, Kim JH.Impact of skeletal muscle mass on metabolic health.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul).2020 Mar;35(1):1-6. doi:10.3803/EnM.2020.35.1.1.Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.More evidence that exercise can boost mood.Basso JC, Suzuki WA.The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review.Brain Plast.2017 Mar 28;2(2):127-152. doi:10.3233/BPL-160040Komatsu H, Yagasaki K, Saito Y, Oguma Y.Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.BMC Geriatr.2017 Aug 22;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0584-3Proliance Surgeons Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.Zumba craze and injury prevention.
American Heart Association.American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.
ACE Fitness.Zumba fitness: Sure it’s fun but is it effective?
Dalleck LC, Roos KA, Byrd BR, Weatherwax RM.Zumba Gold: Are The Physiological Responses Sufficient to Improve Fitness in Middle-Age to Older Adults?J Sports Sci Med.2015 Aug 11;14(3):689-90.
Cugusi L, Wilson B, Serpe R, Medda A, Deidda M, Gabba S, Satta G, Chiappori P, Mercuro G; Working Group of Gender Cardiovascular Disease of the Italian Society of Cardiology.Cardiovascular effects, body composition, quality of life and pain after a Zumba fitness program in Italian overweight women.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2016 Mar;56(3):328-35.
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.Target heart rate for exercise.
Luettgen M, Foster C, Doberstein S, Mikat R, Porcari J.Zumba: is the “fitness-party” a good workout?J Sports Sci Med.2012 Jun 1;11(2):357-8.
Araneta MR, Tanori D.Benefits of Zumba Fitness among sedentary adults with components of the metabolic syndrome: A pilot study.J Sports Med Phys Fitness.2015 Oct;55(10):1227-33.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic Pain Among Adults — United States, 2019-2021.
Kim G, Kim JH.Impact of skeletal muscle mass on metabolic health.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul).2020 Mar;35(1):1-6. doi:10.3803/EnM.2020.35.1.1.
Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.More evidence that exercise can boost mood.
Basso JC, Suzuki WA.The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review.Brain Plast.2017 Mar 28;2(2):127-152. doi:10.3233/BPL-160040
Komatsu H, Yagasaki K, Saito Y, Oguma Y.Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.BMC Geriatr.2017 Aug 22;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0584-3
Proliance Surgeons Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.Zumba craze and injury prevention.
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