The Road Fitness

Zumba Fitness Review and Try a New Exercise Class

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:59:28 +0000

If you are interested in Zumba then a Zumba fitness review can provide you all the information you would need about this popular new form of exercise. Zumba is basically a type of dance exercise where you will use dance steps form rock & roll, cumbia, meringue, mambo, salsa, belly dancing, calypso and the cha cha to help get fit and lose weight.

Zumba offers all levels of classes and much of these dance exercises will provide you better flexibility, strengthen your heart and improve your balance, much like doing yoga and aerobics. Once you start feeling the music you will soon forget you are exercising and just enjoy the dancing.

Some of the many benefits for the body and mind include better motor control, improved brain function, better bone density, great range of motion, enhanced self esteem, reduction of stress and much more. This is a great way to get out, meet some new people, exercise and enjoy yourself while you are doing it.

Zumba classes are scheduled to last for an hour and on average you can expect to burn about 500 calories depending on your size. This is the same as many other forms of exercise such as swimming, running or playing sports. Zumba is just as effective if not more so than many other forms of exercise and makes a great change up if you are in an exercise rut.

Zumba classes can be found all over but you should check at your local Y, fitness club or gym. Searching online can also be a good place to find a class as they might be held at a local community center or school. If you cannot find a class then enquire at the local gym. If enough people are interested then they may be able to set up a class.

If you want you can even become a Zumba instructor as it is not difficult. You will need to sign up for a certification class. These classes are offered as two options a one day or two day course. You do not have to pass a test but they will instruct you on how to lead a group in Zumba. You will need to renew your certification every year if you want to still be an instructor.

If you are getting tired with your regular exercise and want something that is new then try Zumba. The music is great, the exercises are fun and once you get into it you will not even realize you are working out.

The Zumba Fitness DVD As Seen On TV

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:59:01 +0000

So, you are interested in the Zumba Fitness DVD as seen on TV? It is also known as the ‘total body transformation system’. What a bold statement that is!

First of all, what is Zumba?

Well, it is an intense dance aerobics mixed with Latin rhythm and international music to produce a pulsating and arousing fitness system. Wow! Simplified, it’s a great way of getting yourself in shape by letting the music move you.

The great thing about fitness regimes that are set to music is that it completely removes the boredom factor. Sure, we can all go to the gym and run on a treadmill for half an hour and then sit on an exercise bike for another half an hour. But, in doing this, even though the gym may have some lively music blaring out from the speakers, don’t you find that the constant running and pedalling becomes monotonous and non pleasurable. This puts a strain on our willpower and therefore, more often than not, we just give up.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if we could eliminate the lethargy and displeasure of our daily fitness workout? This is where Zumba comes into its own. The most gratifying factors of any workout should be:

We lose weight through exercise. We keep ourselves fit, active, healthy and toned.

Now we can add another factor to a workout regime:

We learn to dance and have fun

Before too long, you will feel confident enough to attend a Zumba class and have a real fitness party.

Who can resist gyrating to that sexy, vibrant Latin sound? This is not just for the girls either, even the guys can benefit from attending the class. Yes, you heard me – guys, just imagine the kudos from your pals and gorgeous ladies alike, when you go to your favourite club and that sultry, Latin beat gets the better of you.

And all because of the Zumba!

Cardio Fitness

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:26:54 +0000

Cardio is important for both weight loss and good cardiovascular health. Some body builders forget the importance of cardio, because they don’t want to lose muscle mass as a result. Unless you are an ectomorph, part of your exercise regime should focus on aerobics. Contrary to what some people believe, cardio will not reduce you’re muscle mass, and it will help you build up endurance and gain more definition.

Below is a list of reasons why you should keep up to date with your cardio workouts.

Prevention of disease, such as obesity and heart attack

Good mental health (studies show that people who exercise more are less likely to be depressed)

Shed off that layer of unwanted fat to show off the body you worked so hard for

Lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate

Increases blood flow to your muscles, which results in more nutrients being delivered to them

Increases endurance, which might help you lift heavier for longer time periods

When you are doing cardio, there are a few things that you should remember, they are duration, intensity and frequency.

Duration

Duration is how long you do a continuous aerobic activity in one session. Ideally, you should be training between 20 and 60 minutes per session. However, if you are a beginner, you may start by doing shorter workouts, of about 10 minutes at a time. Once you become stronger and more comfortable, you should start to increase how long you are exercising for. You should NEVER strain yourself, especially if you are a beginner. If you feel weak or dizzy, slow down or stop, and of course, consult a physician if you have any health problems before you begin. Note that although cardio will not promote muscle loss, if you’re goal is to add mass you should be doing only about 20-30 minutes a time or else you will burn too many calories.

Sample workout for a beginner

2 minutes warm up (ex. light walking)

6 minutes higher intensity activity (ex. brisk walking, light jog etc)

2 minutes cool down (ex. light walking or stretching)

Sample workout for intermediate

5 minutes warm up

20-35 minutes high intensity cardio

5 minutes cool down

Sample workout for advanced

10 mins warm up

40 mins high intensity cardio

10 mins cool down

Cardio Fitness Continued

Intensity means how hard you are working during your activities. This is a key component for optimal health and fat loss. Beginners should aim for a target heart rate of lower that 55% of their maximum heart rates, while intermediate and advanced people should aim for about 65-90%. Your maximum heart rate level is approximately 220 minus your age, but of course this may vary depending on your fitness level. Gym equipment usually has hand censors that will tell you what your heart rate is at, so that you can maintain a good level of intensity throughout your workout. If you find these censors annoying to hold or you are outside, and easy way to see how hard you are working is to see how well you can talk.

If you can sing without difficulty, you aren’t working hard enough

If you can talk without much difficulty, you aren’t working very hard

If you can talk with a little difficulty, you are working at an average

If you can’t talk at all, you might be working too hard

Take a look at these guidelines, and judge for yourself what a good pace is for you.

Frequency

Unless you are an ectomorph, you should be generally performing cardio 3-5 times per week, unless you have a lot of fat to loose you can go for 5-7 times per week. You should never space you’re cardio fitness sessions out for more than 48 hours because your body start to loose the positive effects of the previous workout.

Interval Training

Interval training is a cardio workout that will take less time than a regular cardio workout and burn more calories. This type of workout is very effective and you will only need to do it for 15 – 20 minutes at a time. An example of interval training is to run for 3 minutes and walk briskly for 2 minutes. You continue this cycle until your workout is complete (don’t forget to warm up!). This type of workout is great for preventing the boredom that can come with steady state cardio and boosts fat lose. Interval training is also good for improving you’re cardiovascular abilities and preventing the muscle loss that can come with regular cardio. Remember that you should always be changing the duration of how long you are running and walking to keep your body guessing. This type of cardio can be done on virtually any cardio machine, and also outdoors.

Interval training vs. steady state cardio

Interval training – Pro’s

burns a lot of fat

takes less time

burns less muscle tissue

Steady state cardio – Pro’s

Improves endurance

Little impact on joints

It is not as easy to “burn out” – so you will end up burning more calories

An ideal workout routine will consist of both of these types of cardio, as they both have their own benefits. I would recommend doing interval training one day and steady state the next.

Sample week of cardio workouts

Monday

Steady state cardio 40 minutes stationary bike

Tuesday

Interval training 20 minutes treadmill

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday

Steady state cardio 30 minutes swimming

Friday

Interval training 20 minutes ecliptical trainer

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

Steady state cardio 60 minutes rollerblading

This is just an example to show you how you can vary your workouts. Remember to keep them fun and change them up weekly so that your body never gets used to a certain workout, and you don’t get bored!