Discover

By MAEGAN MCGOWEN
Staff Writer

Pounding bass vibrated across the wood floors of Tyler’s YMCA gym Monday night.

Women and men of all ages and cultures stretched and swayed as they mimicked their instructor whose movements stayed in perfect rhythm with the beat of the Latin music.

It’s called Zumba, and it’s a new, exciting way to get in shape.

“Zumba is a combination of fitness movements and dance steps,” Alberto Flores, Zumba instructor at the Tyler YMCA, said. “Sometimes you don’t want to exercise, but with the Latin music, it’s a lot more fun.”

Flores was a student in a Zumba class, and when his own instructor needed help, he gladly jumped in.

“Zumba is great because it works out the whole body,” he said. “It’s also something everyone can do, and in this particular class, we have students from 16 to 50 years old.”

Juanita Warner, coordinator for the Zumba program at the YMCA, said that Zumba was developed by Alberto Perez, a celebrity fitness trainer and choreographer for international pop superstars. Inspired by the traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and menrengue music, Perez paired his favorite Latin rhythms with dance steps.

“It’s a fun aerobic work out,” she said. “It’s not boring like typical aerobic classes where you step up and down over and over. It revolves around arm movements and exciting music, so it’s enormous fun.”

Ms. Warner explained that a lot of people participate in Zumba because it’s a different work-out concept all together.

“It’s really good for the mind, body and soul because it makes you feel good,” she said. “If you get into Zumba and you stick to it for an hour three times per week, you can lose 50 to 60 pounds and burn between 600-700 calories each night.”

According to Ms. Warner, she started doing Zumba and went from 165 pounds to 104 pounds.

“I never thought I’d get back down to that size, and because of Zumba I’m maintaining it.”

Warner said that Zumba uses interval training, which combines fast and slow paces during the workout.

“What we’ll do is start off with a warm-up and slow music pieces, and then speed them up in the middle,” she said. “At the end, we will slow down again. We’re really making your heart work.”

Twenty-six-year-old Claudia Aparicio has six family members that attend Zumba.

“I come three times per week for the whole hour,” she said. “I like it because of the fast music and the dancing. You sweat a lot!”

Ms. Aparicio believes Zumba has improved her rhythm and helped her to get healthier.

“I definitely have better rhythm, especially in the hips,” she said. “Zumba is better than regular exercise because watching everyone else do it makes you want to do it better than everyone else!”

She also mentioned that Zumba is a stress release from her busy life.

“I don’t have to worry about kids or work or anything,” she said.

Valorie Mosley is another student who’s only been participating for three weeks, and she’s already feeling results.

“It has already made me feel better,” she said. “I would definitely recommend it to others.”

Zumba may be easy to pick up for people blessed with rhythm, but for anyone who needs a little extra instruction, Ms. Warner will be starting a beginner Zumba class in September.

“You can come anytime and get involved,” she said.

The class will teach basic Latin dance steps and then combine the steps with Zumba music.

“Before I start the music, I’ll teach you each step,” she said. “It will take you a little while to pick up the steps, but we aren’t looking for perfect steps. Just do what makes you comfortable and try your best.”

Zumba classes are offered at the YMCA in Tyler and Whitehouse on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.

Valorie Mosley, of Tyler, mimics the teacher during a Zumba exercise class.
((Staff Photo By Mark Roberts))