Zumba
This summer, the UK is about to fall hook, line and sinker for a new fun, confidence-boosting, fast-paced activity for all - Zumba!
Zumba claims to be a "fitness is like no other workout you will ever experience!"
It was created in the mid-90s by Colombian native Alberto "Beto" Perez as an alternative to the same old exercise routines. Beto forgot his usual music and had to improvise around the music he had in his car - the class was a huge success and Perez realised he was onto something, merging aerobics with dance, accompanied by a lilting Latin beat.
Inspired by the traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music he grew up with, Beto paired his favourite pulsating Latin rhythms with the red-hot international dance steps his clients loved and "Zumba Fitness" (Spanish slang for "to move fast and have fun") was born!
Since Beto brought Zumba Fitness to the US in 1999, it has become one of the fastest-growing, dance-based fitness crazes in the country, with people of all ages falling in love with its infectious music, easy-to-follow dance moves, and body-beautifying benefits.
There are now more than 20,000 instructors teaching Zumba in 35 countries. Four hundred of them are in the UK, currently teaching 173 classes, in big gym chains to local halls. All are incredibly popular, with a steady increase of instructors training Zumba style as we speak.
The principle behind Zumba is incredibly simple: get fit, have fun. That's it.
There are no complicated moves to learn and you don't need the co-ordination of a standard aerobics class - or the partner you'd require for a traditional salsa class.
Best of all, the music is so infectious that you barely even notice you're exercising.
A standard one-hour class uses four basic rhythms based on simplified versions of salsa, merengue, cumbia and reggaeton (mixed up with a bit of mambo, flamenco, rumba and calypso).
Zumba is a cardio-based workout which also helps tone and sculpt the body, a great way to lose weight, increase strength and co-ordination, developing self-esteem and pure happiness. That is why so many people are likely to love it and get addicted to it.
There's a Zumba for nearly everyone, whether you're 17 or 70! Zumba Gold classes are aimed specifically at older people (you can even do Zumba sitting in a chair), while a new Zumba Kids programme is being rolled out later in the year.
Fitness doesn't have to be boring - Zumba has proved you can have great fun exercising without even realizing it. All in all it's a fantastic way of socializing, boosting your confidence and most importantly, it puts the fun in fitness.
Find out more about Zumba, please visit: www.zumba.com.