Just recently I saw a picture doing the rounds on Facebook of a lean and muscular woman performing an overhead squat with a weighted barbell, and with the caption ?Zumba? I don?t think so b*tch?. Now, my first reaction to this was something like ?Hell yes, women should lift more?! But then a little voice in my head piped up with ?But you love Zumba! How can you support this scornful image?? And, after giving the question some consideration, I realised that the truth is that I can?t!
I could probably write a thesis on this subject ? looking into things like identity and belonging, avoiding cognitive dissonance (i.e. adopting the ?what I do must be the best and only thing to do or else I wouldn?t be doing it, and likewise, everything I?m not doing must be worthless or else I?d be doing it? mentality), and even delving into the types of activities that appeal to different characters etc. etc. However, I don?t have time to write a thesis and I?m sure you don?t have time to read one, so instead I?ll keep things short and sweet and highlight the key reasons why I think Zumba is awesome!
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1. It?s FUN!
Ask anyone who goes to a Zumba class why they love going and 9 times out of 10 they?ll say it?s because it?s so much fun ? the music is lively and upbeat, no one takes themselves too seriously and everyone?s so busy dancing and laughing they barely notice they?re working out. And why is this important? Well, obviously none of us want to spend our time doing things that we don?t enjoy, and although many of you reading this are probably thinking something like ?but I love my Crossfit / Hill Sprints / 5?5 StrongLifts sessions?, not everyone shares your love of hard physical exercise! In fact, the vast majority of people don?t often enjoy exercise ? hence why?only 6% of men and 4% of women meet the government?s current recommendations for physical activity [1]. The simple fact is, if we enjoy doing something we?ll put ourselves out to do it and we?ll make time for it, even when we?re tired, stressed, or snowed under with work and other commitments. For whatever reason, Zumba is one form of structured exercise that people (women especially) of all ages, sizes and abilities seem to enjoy, and if that?s what gets them moving, who are we to knock it?
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2. It?s Functional!
Well, okay, perhaps I?ve misused the term ?functional? here, as Zumba isn?t really ?functional training? in the sense that it is purposely designed to improve performance in a certain task, movement or activity. However, unlike many other workout classes, it DOES involve lots of tri-planar movement ? there?s loads of twisting, turning, side-stepping, kicking, reaching, pulling, pushing, and shimmying! So, while having loads of fun, and getting some ?exercise?, people doing Zumba are also helping to improve, or at least maintain, mobility at all their joints ? especially the hips, thoracic spine, shoulder and ankle!
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3. People have different goals!
Will doing Zumba 7 days a week get you lean, muscular and ripped? Probably not. And I doubt it will improve your bench press or your 2km rowing time either. But, and here?s the kicker ? not everyone cares! Sometimes I think people (especially trainers) forget, or perhaps don?t even realise, that not everyone wants a rock-hard, lean and muscular physique, and not everyone is training for performance in a particular sport or movement!?Most people just want to ?feel good?, ?have more energy?, and keep their waistlines within a few inches of where they were when they were in their 20s. Will Zumba help with those goals? Very probably!
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4. It?ll help you keep your wits about you as you age!
A research study [2] that followed 500 people over 21 years (from 1980 to 2001) found that people who regularly read had a 35% decreased risk of developing dementia and those who did crosswords had a 47% reduced risk. However, ?of all the different types of physical activities measured, none had a positive impact on dementia risk?except for dancing ? people who danced regularly showed a whopping 76% decrease in their risk of dementia! Again, I think this is an important reminder that the benefits of exercise are not limited to how many inches you can pinch on your belly or how how much weight you can lift over your head- they extend to every aspect of our lives. If dancing can help us maintain our mental faculties as we age, then I?m getting my dancing shoes on and heading to Zumba!
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Hopefully I?ve convinced some of you to ease up on the derogatory, Zumba-bashing?comments, or at least given you something to think about.?And if not, well, here?s a message ?from ?Men at Work? for those of you who are already fans of the worldwide dance-craze?.
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References
[1] Health Survey for England (2008). Summary of Key Findings, Page 7.
[2] Verhese at al. (2003). Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. New England Journal of Medicine, 348, pp2508-16.
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Source: http://www.fitnessnewspaper.com/2012/11/12/in-defence-of-zumba-by-sally-pears/
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