Zumba has been the hottest in-thing in Singapore for almost
4 years now. I am sure many of my female readers would have heard of it, or even contemplating to try it since forever. LOL.
Below is my feeble attempt to answer some frequently asked questions I get from my friends & family about Zumba.
Disclaimer: I
am not a Zumba expert nor a qualified instructor or the likes. I am
just a regular person who was trying to lose weight for her wedding, and
accidentally stumbled upon the awesome dancelike sport. I made Zumba a
hobby since more than 2 years ago. Zumba is the ONLY hobby I could happily upkeep (I am very fickle when it comes to sticking to a particular
activity. I get bored with routines easily, therefore I usually give up
on a new hobby after 3 months, and that says a lot about how fun Zumba is, at least for me.) :)
Zumba has changed my life and my lifestyle, in a positive way. I wish the same for you!
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Q1. Is Zumba only for people with a dance background?
A1. No, you don't need a dance background to enjoy Zumba. No doubt having a dance background helps you look
more together when you are doing it
(except no one actually looks at you, unless you are dancing naked);
and people with dance background pick up the steps a tad faster, BUT it
is not limited to dancers. Zumba is not too difficult to follow. It is
perfectly OK if you can't keep up 100% with the instructor or your
classmates. Keep moving & enjoy the music! The key is to HAVE FUN
like you're partying!
Q2. Is Zumba a dance or a workout? Why are the steps repetitive?
A2.
It is a Latin dance inspired exercise routine (it's an exercise
routine, not a proper dance performance, hence the repetitive movements)
- so it's a mixture of both dance and workout. You know aerobics? Yeah
it's something like that, but 10 times the fun, with sexier music!
Q3. I want to try Zumba, but I am scared I don't have the stamina. What should I do?
A3.
Two ways to go about this:
1. Just go for a trial class first. If you
feel faintish or breathless, take a break and drink water/isotonic
drinks. No one will care if you stop, but your newfound Zumba classmates
may freak out if you faint, so please know your limits.
2. Start with a
Zumba Gold class and if you think you can manage, switch to a regular
Zumba class.
Q4. I want to lose weight. How many times do I need to do Zumba?
A4. Have you heard of the saying
"Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym"?
I get it that you don't mean you want firm abs, but I hope you get my
drift. To lose weight, you follow a simple equation below (over a period
of time).
Daily total calories intake < Daily total calories expended
If you need to lose weight fast, a sure-fire way is to keep to 1200 calories per day, and do Zumba every day.
But
but but...prior to that, your body must have been conditioned to do
sports/exercise on a daily basis. If you have been out of condition for a
long time, meaning you haven't been doing sports for a while, DO NOT
TRY to suddenly do Zumba every day! Daily Zumba applies more for
relatively healthy people with a good medical history. Consult your
doctor, dietician, fitness trainer if in doubt.
One thing I am
sure is this: if you are unwilling to kick off your bad eating habits or
you eat MORE after you started Zumba (or any other exercises), you are
NOT going to lose any weight. In fact, the latter makes you put on more
weight! Surprise surprise.
Q5. I tried Zumba once/a few times, but I couldn't catch up with the dance steps! I felt so out of place, how?
A5.
I'm sorry that you felt this way. Guess what? Many of us felt that too!
I didn't know what the heck I was doing when I was in my first Zumba
class! I only remembered I desperately downed a lot of water after each
song. That being said, I encourage you to keep going to Zumba classes,
or try different instructors until you find someone whom you can follow
and you like. It is important you like your Zumba instructor's moves -
only then you can truly enjoy the 1-hour class.
Q6. I didn't lose as much weight/burn as much calories as I wanted to with Zumba, why is that so?
A6.
(Pls kindly refer to Q4. for weight-loss queries) If you meant that each time you do Zumba, you burn lesser calories than the advertised
'500 calories & above',
then there may be a possibility that you are already quite
skinny/small-built. Not everyone will burn 500 calories - it pretty much
depends on how heavy you are to begin with. If you are big, yet you
burn lesser than 500 calories - another possibility is that you have not
gone "all out"/"full force" with your movements; or perhaps you are a
newbie still trying to figure out your steps. In the case where you are
not a newbie (let's say you do Zumba regularly for a year and you watch
your diet carefully) and you are still unable to achieve your
weight-loss goals due to your two left feet, sadly, I'd then say
" Go
try something else!"
Q7. I want to try Zumba, but I don't know where to go?
A7.
(Frankly
speaking, I secretly rolled my eyes when I hear your question. You
cannot Google meh?? Unless you don't have internet access lah.)
Okay I shall be kind and tell you more. I personally attend lessons by
1Fiesta.
They cover many locations in Singapore, by different instructors. (You
really do need internet access to read up more about how 1Fiesta works,
and to book your classes online.) My personal favourite instructor is Ms
Farah Fakar. I attend her weekly Tuesday lessons at Yio Chu Kang
Grassroots Club. Whenever I feel fat or ambitious, I attend more lessons
in a week, either with Farah on Sunday evenings at Waterloo Centre or
with other 1Fiesta instructors depending on my schedule &
convenience.
 |
| My workout buddies & I after Farah's class at Yio Chu Kang Grassroots. Farah, the instructor, on the extreme right. |
I have tried Zumba with many 1Fiesta instructors and other
than Farah, I enjoy Zumba-ing with Sabrina, Gerald, Shannon and Faiz as
well. Besides 1Fiesta, I also like Cyndi's Zumba lessons which are held
on Wednesday evenings at
8 on Claymore.
Q8. Do I have to wear Zumba clothes to classes, as in those sports wear with the word "Zumba" splashed across it?
