A calorie-burning fitness party

Henriette Lamprecht – To put it bluntly, Zumba Fitness is pretty much the most awesome workout ever. Dancing to great music with fun, like-minded people and burning a ton of calories without even realising, what’s not to love!Nadine Russman, licensed Zumba fitness instructor, describes it as an exhilarating dance fitness experience unlike any other exercise programme, fusing Latin, African and world rhythms with easy to follow choreography. The mixing of low and high intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning fitness party provides an effective and fully rounded total body workout.“Zumba Fitness combines all elements of fitness – cardio, muscle conditioning, balance, flexibility and boosted energy,” says Nadine.The origin of Zumba dates back to the late 1990s in Colombia, when a young aerobics instructor, Beto Pérez, forgot his usual aerobics music and only had a tape of Latin style dance music. Not to disappoint his members, he improvised a dance class . . . and Zumba Fitness was born.The great thing about Zumba Fitness is that it is for absolutely everybody and anybody, says Nadine.“Many of our younger members, starting at age 6, bring their mommies along, while our senior dance lovers, some in their 70s, are by no means left behind.”You can adjust the movements to your own energy and experience level. The point is to keep moving, even if you don't perfectly hit that move or keep up. “Fake it 'till you make it,” says Nadine. It is difficult to explain in words what a Zumba Fitness class is all about and is best experienced in person. “It’s a physical and emotional fitness experience that leaves you energised and exhausted, drenched in sweat, but craving for more.”Typically the class starts with a low impact dance warm-up of between 5 to 8 minutes. The warm-up is followed by a combination of high and low intensity, 4 to 5 minute tracks, dancing tothe rythms of salsa, merengue, reggaeton, samba, soca, hip hop, modern dance, African sounds and many more. The class ends with a relaxing, wind-down stretching session, leaving the class revitalised and ready for the world.Not everybody is a Beyoncé. Does it matter if you have two left feet that can’t seem to catch up with the rhythm? Zumba fitness is designed to cater to all levels of dance ability, Nadine emphasises. Similar to any other exercise programme, the first few sessions may seem a bit difficult to keep up with at times, but the more you join, the easier it will become.“It also helps that with Zumba we don’t learn brand new choreography for every song. Many of the basic steps to each rhythm stay the same, or we simply add on variations to abasic move. These basic moves or variations then often repeat in different songs, allowing your muscle memory to jump in and allow you to enjoy the dance with less concentration.”She always had a love for dance, but no so much for fitness, Nadine admits.Seven years ago a friend told her about a fun dance class she attends. After her first class she was completely blown away by the joy in the room, the energy pulsating from every corner, the loud captivating tunes. She knew instantly that Zumba Fitness would be part of her life forever.“I had no idea that it could even be possible for exercise to be fun.A few months later I signed up for Zumba Teacher Training.”A profession that is rewarding, entertaining and financially sustainable as much as this, she didn't know existed.The past year she has been able to quit her 8-to-5 job to invest fully in her passions. As the saying goes: Follow your passion and success will follow. “I took a risk and surprisingly didn't land on my face. Zumba Fitness has given me freedom – freedom from the rat race. My hobby has become the sustenance to my livelihood. There is no greater gift than time, to be able to spend the majority of it doing what I love. Uplifting others and making a difference in people’s lives make me so incredibly thankful. It’s great watching my Zumba family transform into their free and wild alter egos during those 60 minutes. Witnessing the long term physical and emotional positive changes warms my heart and reassures me that I have chosen the right path.”zumbanam.nadine@gmail.com

A calorie-burning fitness party

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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A calorie-burning fitness party

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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