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Zumba catches on in EP
| 
Step aside, step aerobics.
Put down the medicine ball.
These days, the hot workout in El Paso might be Zumba.
The exercise craze combines aerobics with Latin-flavored music, along with tango, salsa and similar dance moves. What you get is a high-energy exercise class that provides the toning and cardio workout of aerobics with the fun and style of Latin dance, tango, salsa and even Bollywood and hip hop dance moves.
“It’s more of a party atmosphere,” said Briget Smith, owner of The Mind Body Studio and Zumba Instructor. “The music is fun party music – Latin and international. You’re having so much fun that you don’t realize how hard you are working out – you are just having a great time.”
Which, for some Zumba enthusiasts, is part of the draw.
“I’m not someone who really likes to exercise,” said Rebecca Espinosa, a 58-year-old retiree who began to take Zumba classes after hearing friends rave about the lessons. “But I’m hooked now, like I’ve never been hooked on anything before. I actually look forward to class.”
Participants can burn between 700 and 1,000 calories an hour. The dancing exercises tone the entire body, with a special emphasis on the hips and waist.
“All of the movements really work the core,” said Smith, who was certified through Zumba’s official training program. “There are a lot of twisting movements in Latin dance. You use your obliques, your abdominals and your glutes.”
Espinosa said she saw a difference in two weeks. Four months after her first class, she is nearly 20 pounds lighter.
“It just really works,” she said. “And now, I’m the one telling my friends about it.”
Word-of-mouth has really propelled the craze forward, said Smith.
Since The Mind Body Studio began offering classes in January 2009, the exercise program has caught on in El Paso. Currently, four classes are being offered. The studio plans to expand to include special Zumba classes aimed at youth (Zumba ‘Tonic’) and seniors (Zumba ‘Gold”). Zumba also is offered at Latin Rhythmz, El Paso Community College and Champion Dance Studios.
The best part for many is that no dance experience is required, Smith said.
“It really is for everybody,” she said. “You see people of all shapes and sizes come in, with various fitness levels, different ages. Many of them have lost a lot of weight. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of people.”
Even men have become Zumba enthusiasts.
“We do have men who take our classes for fitness or because they enjoy dancing,” Smith said. “In fact, the creator of Zumba is a man.”
Dancer and fitness trainer Alberto Perez developed the workout by accident in the mid 90s.
He was set to lead an aerobics class in his hometown of Cali, Colombia, when he realized he had forgotten the standard music.
He pulled out the tapes in his backpack - collections of the salsa and merengue he had listened to all his life. From that class on, Perez improvised an entirely new routine inspired by the Latin music.
Perez brought the workout to the United States 10 years ago and, with the help of entrepreneurs Alberto Aghion and Alberto Perlman, trademarked the name Zumba and began laying the foundation for what has become a global phenomenon.
The benefits of Zumba extend beyond the physical, said Smith. The routines emphasize sensuality in an empowering but not overly sexual way.
“It really improves self confidence, especially for women,” she said. “The dancing move helps women feel sexier and more able to express their feminine side.”
For those interested in giving the craze a try, Smith offers a one-time free class.
“You can expect to sweat a lot,” she said. “Bring a towel and a bottle of water. Expect to have fun! That’s what everyone leaves saying.”
Local gyms and continuing education programs also offer zumba classes.
Comments or questions about this story? E-mail swsenior@elpasoinc.com
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