My Certificate for Zumba Fitness

I went to Ottawa on March 16, 2014 to obtain my Zumba Fitness Certificate. Considering that I have been dancing for most of my life, I thought it would be a great way to get back into shape with the enjoyment of teaching others. 

The Zumba Fitness concept, in my opinion, is ``having fun with high cardio repetitive movements while teaching the basic Latin dances``, it`s the new aerobics. I have been dancing merengue, salsa and bachata since I was 15 so I am inspired by the music and the rhythm. The teacher, Jaime( https://www.facebook.com/jaimefarfan2 ), was really engaging, fun and helpful with the history as well as the basic idea. He was entertaining and it helps when there is a sexy guy shaking his booty..lol.

Zumba Fitness is a great and a fun concept but my only concern is that anyone can obtain a Zumba Fitness teaching certificate. Anyone can pay, do the 8 hour class and obtain a license. Although the program does recommend having a fitness background or previous dancing experience, they do not enforce it. This means that you have to be very careful when taking classes. When doing any sort of base program for fitness, there is always risk of bodily harm. My advice is to find out as much as you can about the instructor. Ask if they have any previous training, a fitness certificate or any level of dance. Above all, if they are using the Zumba Fitness formation, they should have at least the respect to have obtained the certificate. If it`s the first time you are doing the class, find out what is best for you and don`t overdue it. This is a full cardio work out and when not prepared, it can lead to harm and injury. The best way is to find a personal trainer that can help teach you basic movements and how those movements effect your body. It`s a little more expensive but once you have the basics, the rest is just training.

It`s hard finding time to exercise but exercising and not enjoying it really does suck. For me, dancing has and always will be my choice of fitness. All instructors teach Zumba Fitness with a mix of their own style and know how. Some incorporate boxing, kick boxing, some martial art movements, etc., while others focus on dance movements incorporating other styles such as jazz, belly dancing, calypso, etc. You have to try a few classes before you find what works for you. If you love dancing, the Latin beat and rhythm, then Zumba Fitness is for you.

I am presently putting together a class but I haven`t yet started teaching. You are all more than welcome to come and try my class once it`s up and running.  Until then, I`m off to write :)