Zumba
For students who enjoy a little booty shaking in their exercise routines, the newly proposed fitness program at the ERC may be perfect.
On Wednesday night, Eppley Recreation Center introduced Zumba, “the steamiest fitness craze in town,” in an attempt to combat the boredom that typically settles over students’ exercise routines toward the end of the semester. According to Brianne Rowh, Campus Recreation Services’ assistant director of fitness, part of the reason for hosting the class was to discover whether there is enough interest on the campus to make Zumba a regular aerobics class in the fall.
Zumba – which is Colombian slang for “fast,” according to a story written by the Associated Press – is a fitness program in which one performs dance moves to the rhythm of Latin and international music. The program was invented in Colombia in the mid-1990s by an exercise instructor who forgot his aerobics music one day and decided to improvise a workout with the traditional Latin salsa tapes that he had in his car, according to Zumba Fitness LLC, which owns the trademark.
“The best thing to compare it to would be the style of dance that you would see in a Shakira video,” said Rowh.
Although some ERC officials worried the first Zumba class would not attract enough participants to receive a regular time slot in the fall, concerns evaporated after seeing the enthusiastic crowd that came to the event.
“The turnout definitely warrants interest,” Rowh said while watching students file into the aerobics room. “We’re already at maximum capacity right now, which is really good for an end-of-the-semester class when people tend to get bogged down with schoolwork.”
Unlike other fitness programs, the Zumba instructor does not strictly dictate the motions of the participants. After the instructor introduces the initial dance motion, he or she does not stay in the front of the class, but instead strolls through the crowd of participants, shouting words of encouragement and occasionally breaking into spontaneous dance moves.
“It’s structured, but it’s loose,” said Allison Davis, a junior American studies major. Davis, who was once a serious competitor in Latin ballroom dancing, especially enjoys the fitness regimen because its improvisational nature allows her to combine a love for dance with a need to stay in shape.
“This is the first time that I’ve taken a class and said, ‘This is something that I can commit to,’ and I’ve been coming to this gym for a year and a half,” Davis said.
But the class isn’t just for experienced dancers. The infectious rhythms and communal nature of the dance routine allow anyone to catch on and participate by following the leads of others.
“It’s very energetic; anyone can easily latch on to the dance moves,” said Stephanie Fiore, a junior public and community health major.
That doesn’t mean Zumba isn’t strenuous, though. According to Fiore, who is also a fitness instructor at the ERC, the ease with which the dance moves are picked up does not necessarily make it easy to sustain the class’s frenetic pace.
“It’s the first time in a while that I’ve gotten a cramp,” she said.
On June 21, the ERC is offering a certification class that costs $210 for students who want to become regular Zumba instructors for potential classes in the fall.
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