

In short, I have been to classes where in an hour and a half I break a sweat, and really get my heart rate up. Different instructors (and different gyms) have different class formats, songs, and dances, which leads to varying intensity levels when it comes to energy expenditure. I’ve done it a handful of times, I’m not a huge fan of it but it can be a good way to break up the monotony of the gym.

Not all classes are equally intense you may be getting much less of a workout than other Zumba-ers. If you want to use Zumba for weight loss, or if you’ve already been trying and haven’t seen the numbers on the scale budge yet, there could be several reasons why. My theory is that whatever gets you moving is good, and if it keeps you coming back because you enjoy it, even better.

Because people find the classes fun, they keep attending, and that is what makes it work. The answer is of course yes, Zumba can help you lose weight but the important thing to realize is that the dance sessions are no magic fix for dropping pounds, it just happens to come in a package that most people don’t detest instead of slaving away on a treadmill, you get to spend an hour or so dancing with friends and strangers to loud music. Lots of people swear by Zumba for weight loss, but does it really work?
