Overview

Zumba is a commonly performed aerobic exercise that’s inspired by a Latin dance to help people stay in shape and lose excess weight.

This exercise requires high energy that burns a substantial number of calories, which puts your body in a state of caloric deficit.

According to studies, Zumba exercises burn between 300 and 900 calories per hour, which is significantly higher than most other training forms.

You should keep in mind that the number of calories burnt during a Zumba training session varies greatly, depending on several factors (e.g., age, gender, body type, diet, genetics).

To obtain the most benefits from this workout routine, try to practice Zumba two or three times a week while introducing strength training sessions now and then.

The benefits of Zumba

Weight loss

As mentioned earlier, Zumba leads to considerable weight loss if practiced regularly due to the engagement of all the body’s muscles.

By moving around in a coordinated fashion, the muscles will start consuming more calories and put you in a state of caloric deficit.

Caloric deficit is a concept used in the medical community to describe a state where you are consuming fewer calories than your body needs.

Aside from the incredible weight loss effects, Zumba also offers a variety of health benefits that include:

Muscle hypertrophy

As Zumba workouts recruit the vast majority of the core muscles, you will often go through hypertrophy to increase the volume of the muscle fibers in order to handle future stress.

This benefit is extremely important as it increases lipolysis (fat loss) since a bigger muscle mass equals more energy expenditure.

Increasing articular range of motion

The complex movements you perform during Zumba will stimulate the different components of the articular capsule to adapt and increase the range of motion (ROM).

This feature makes Zumba rather unique as most workout routines either improve muscle growth or ROM, but not both.

Here are some other benefits you can expect from Zumba:

• Boosting the action of the heart and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease;
• Improving cognitive functions;
• Enhancing the function of the neurons responsible for movement coordination;
• Boosting energy levels.

Takeaway message

Zumba is a great way to stimulate your body to burn more calories and fatty tissue. This workout has been gaining massive popularity over the past few years due to its weight loss effects.