Free Water Zumba Classes!

Zumba Fitness is sweeping the country like wildfire but what is Zumba? is like no other workout you will ever experience!

Zumba Fitness was created in the mid-90’s by Colombian native Alberto “Beto” Perez, a celebrity fitness trainer and choreographer for International pop superstars. Inspired by the traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music he grew up with, Beto paired his favorite pulsating Latin rhythms with the red-hot international dance steps his clients loved and Zumba® Fitness (Spanish slang for “to move fast and have fun”) was born!

Since Beto brought Zumba® Fitness to the US in 1999, it has become one of the fastest-growing, dance-based fitness crazes in the country, with people of all ages falling in love with its infectious music, easy-to-follow dance moves, and body-beautifying benefits.

When some participants of the popular new dance-exercise class called Zumba found all that aerobic dancing hard on the joints, their instructor found a way to accommodate them.

She took it to the pool. Now Water Zumba is offered at The Winds Resort Beach Club where it has become a splashing success.

The Winds Resort is working with the County Parks & Recreation Department to offer Water Zumba to the public along with guests of The Winds. The classes are open to the public but guests of The Winds can participate for free!

The program runs from May 4 —August 31, 2010 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 pm -6:30 pm at The Winds Resort Beach Club, 310 E 1st Street, Ocean Isle Beach, NC

The cost is $35 a month, $10 per session for Drop-Ins and guests of The Winds Resort are free

Water Zumba incorporates all the fun of Zumba – high-intensity dance movements – with the gentle support of the water.

Kick your legs forward. Pump your fists in the air. Wiggle your hips. Run in place. Jump. Crisscross your feet. Do a ski movement. Hop from side to side. Squat. Roll your shoulders. Now put it all together to the beat of music like reggae, salsa, meringue, or cumbia.

Shake it, baby! Shake it! Tired yet?
Zumba feels like you’re dancing and it’s a fun workout but a lot of people quit doing it on land because it is sometimes hard on the joints. Instructors improvised and started another class in the swimming pool.

Students of all fitness levels range in age from 12 to 87. They simply move at their own pace. Another bonus for the self-conscious: no one can see what your hip movements look like in the water.

While the Zumba craze has really taken off at fitness centers, there aren’t many teaching it in the water. Taking it to the water was a whole new experience.

This method of teaching allows students to observe the moves and the teacher to test the intensity of the workout in the pool.
While some students take the class to keep pressure off the joints, others just like the option of a different form of exercise.

“I took it the first day,” said Jamie Barber, 19, “It’s a lot of hip movement. It’s more like dancing. It gives you a good workout with the water resistance. The water is easier for those who can’t do it on land.”

She wanted to add a new dimension to her exercise regimen.
“Exercising in the water is better on your knees and joints. I like it because you can get a workout without getting hot and sweaty. Exercising in the water is also like using weights because you get that water resistance.”

For more information contact:

Ruthie McHugh
Fitness Coordinator at Brunswick County Parks & Rec.
910-253-2583