Fit Reviews

Zumba review

(zumba.com. Classes available worldwide.)

Oh, Zumba. Zumba Zumba Zumba. You are a THING. And sometimes, that’s pretty much all I can say about you.

Actually, that’s a lie. I can pretty much always say more on any given topic.

So Zumba, for those of you living under a rock and haven’t seen the signs, video games, CDs, or clothing line, Zumba is basically a Latin-based dance aerobics class. Class times, locations, and intensities vary widely since getting qualified to teach Zumba seems only slightly more difficult than getting a fruity cocktail in New Orleans.

I’ve been to a few GREAT Zumba classes. Where the dance steps are difficult, but not impossible. Where the instructor actually KNOWS how to salsa, merengue, samba, and didn’t just get a crash course in the styles at a weekend clinic. Where I left sweating and exhausted and delighted.

Sadly, I’ve more often taken Zumba classes run by fitness instructors just jumping on the latest trend. Classes where the steps weren’t even on beat, where the teacher couldn’t remember her combinations, and where I had to add hops and skips and jumps to everything to get anything resembling a workout. I also went to one terrible, terrible class where they packed the room to the fire code limit, and there wasn’t enough space to walk, much less dance.

I daresay that the Zumba trend has jumped the shark. I don’t think they policed who they were giving “licenses” to well enough, and as a result the whole thing has become pretty mediocre, at least in my neck of the woods.

What’s good about Zumba:

-Classes are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Zumba is the herpes of fitness.

-Classes are relatively cheap. Usually in the $5-$10 range, and often offered for free at your gym.

-Moves are usually easy to modify to make them more or less difficult.

-Even if you can’t dance, you’ll manage. Steps are basic, rhythmic, and easy to follow.

-That Cascada song the Zumba movement has co-opted. EVACUATE THE DANCE FLOOR! WHOA-OH, WHOA-OH, INFECTED* BY THE SOUND.

What’s bad about Zumba:

-Classes vary WILDLY studio to studio. I’ve been to significantly more bad ones than good ones.

-The neons. MY GOD, THE NEONS.

-Things can get a little repetitive after a while, especially if you have any dance experience whatsoever.

In conclusion:

Give it a shot, especially if you’re new to fitness. But if you’ve been at this whole feel-the-burn-game for a while, I’d move on, unless you’ve found a particularly challenging class.

Atlantans, here are a few of the Zumba classes I’ve been to:

Gotta Dance Atlanta- The most difficult Zumba class I’ve been to, and therefore my favorite. Taught by a legit Latin dancer, the moves are tough and intense. That said, she tends to repeat the same routine week after week, which is why I eventually stopped going.

Atlanta Zumba Dance- I bought classes via a Groupon. This place was a nightmare— it’s the one where they pack it to the fire code limit. You also have to get there AN HOUR EARLY to get a spot in the class. Two hours of my time, for a bleh class? No thanks.

Kennesaw YMCA- I went to an evening class and a morning class; the evening class was full and, while not an awesome workout, decent. The morning class was almost empty and I left halfway through to use a machine instead.

Mandala Yoga Studio- I enjoyed this one— it wasn’t an OMG workout, but I sweated and had fun. Be warned that the studio is a million degrees!

DWT Studio- This was a good workout, though the studio is too far for me to justify driving to regularly. The instructor was also thirty minute late, so…meh.

Peachtree Presbyterian Gym- Decent workout, but not worth returning for me.

*Infected. I told you. The herpes of fitness.