February Zumba Music Playlist
Little known trivia about me: I hate February! Nothing good ever happens in February and I am so glad it’s over…
But still, I hope you enjoy my February Zumba songs:
La Cucaracha (Cumbia / Latin Pop – Warm Up)
Kumbia Kings
I Gotta Feeling (Pop – back by popular demand!)
Black Eyed Peas
Chaiyya Chaiyya (Bollywood / Zumba Toning)
Bombay Dreams
Me Gusta, Me Gusta (Salsa)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
Jump in the Line (International)
Harry Belafonte
Chiquilla (Cumbia)
A.B. Quintanilla III Y Los Kumbia All Starz
Hava Nagila (Traditional)
Zumba Gold
Kiss Kiss (Belly Dance)
ZIN Megamix 4
A La Nena Le Gusta (Merengue)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
Tigy Tigy (Reggaeton/Arabic)
Zumba ZIN Mega Mix 15
Salome (Salsa/Pop)
Zumba Fitness ZIN 24
Fuego (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN Megamix 4
Loba (Latin Pop)
Shakira
La Isla Bonita (Pop – Cool Down)
Madonna
Best Zumba Shoes for Men
Despite being created by a genius man, Beto Perez, Zumba classes are overwhelmingly women. The token males in my Zumba classes are absolutely adored.
That is all I thought about men regarding Zumba until this week when a reader, Dan, posted a comment on my post Where to Buy Dance Shoes. Dan asked:
can you recommend a zumba shoe for men?
What a great question and in fact, yes I can recommend some shoes for men for Zumba!
One of the most well-known brands of dance shoe is Capezio. My college dance team used Capezio dance sneakers as part of the team uniform and several of my Zumba regulars where Capezio dance sneakers to class.
Capezio offers several varieties of men’s and unisex athletic dance shoes for men that would no doubt work well for men doing Zumba. My personal favorites are the Capezio Rockit and the Capezio Toggle. The main difference is that Capezio Rockit has laces and the Capezio Toggle doesn’t. Reviews for both models are excellent and some reviews actually list Zumba as the main reason the person bought the shoe. Online shoe stores like Zappos and Discount Dance Supply carry Capezio dance sneakers in men’s sizes.
Zumba with a Purpose
Attention Zumba lovers in Minnesota!
Zumba with a Purpose to benefit Toys for Tots with a $10 donation on December 12, 2009 from 1-3pm at Gold’s Gym in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. This Toys for Tots benefit will feature a group of local Zumba instructors and, keeping in the spirit of Toys for Tots, Marines.
Click here for more information and enjoy!
Knee Pain During Zumba
I heard one of my Zumba class regulars who disappeared recently has quit doing Zumba because of knee pain. This is not the first Zumba knee pain complaint I’ve heard. Why do people’s knees hurt from Zumba?
As I mentioned in my past Rencsi.com post Sticky Shoes During Zumba, most athletic shoes are designed for forward movement only. Running shoes and walking shoes have heavy traction and robust soles to resist sliding and turning and this is exactly what runners and walkers need. This is not what we want in Zumba class.
Zumba incorporates the twisting, turning, and sliding movements of Latin dance. While the body is moving, the heavy traction of popular athletic shoes causes the Zumba dancer to stick to the studio floor. The foot stays put and the leg, knee, and hip twist, turn, and slide.
Think of a basic Cuban salsa move – you step to the side, shift your weight to that foot, shift your weight to the other foot, and bring your feet together and repeat and repeat and repeat. The thick, wide soles of most athletic shoes are designed to prevent the lateral movement of salsa, one of the basic dances in a Zumba class.
It’s no wonder some exercisers experience knee pain from Zumba!
The good news is knee pain does not have to end your Zumba workout. There are many styles of athletic dance shoes available that will allow you to turn and slide freely. Here are some articles to help you find the best shoes to wear during Zumba. Enjoy!
Zumba FAQ – What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba Class?
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness, interests | Tags: aerobic, aerobics, athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, Fitness, group fitness, shoes, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, Zumba shoes | Comment (0)Good Dance Shoes for Zumba
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I wear 4-year-old Nike Shox that are in good condition to Zumba. My new running shoes have too much traction for Zumba class and the soles are too big and bulky – I kick myself. My old Nike Shox are lighter, but the footprint is still large and cumbersome. I know that others in my Zumba classes are struggling to find the right Zumba shoes because class often sounds like a basketball court – full of squeaks as their Zumba shoes stick to the dance floor.
Tonight, I participated in a Zumba Master Class with Tony Witt, nationally acclaimed Zumba instructor. For the occasion, I pulled out my old pair of Nike Zoom Waffle running shoes. I think I may be on to something…
I was originally introduced to Nike Zoom Waffles in high school cross country. I trained in standard Nike runners, but raced in Waffles. Cross country shoes are like track and field shoes, without the spikes.
I loved my Nike Zoom Waffle running shoes so much, I also wore them as dance shoes during high school pom and dance team practice. They were attractive, light, flexible, and low profile – perfect for dancing.
When my first pair of Nike Zoom Waffle running (and dancing) shoes broke down, I bought a new pair. I quickly found out that new Nike Zoom Waffle running shoes had far too much traction for dance. I had worn my previous pair enough to wear down some of the traction on the ball of the foot – all this new shoe-traction made turns very difficult. I wore the new shoes daily to get rid of traction for practice for my university dance team. Practice was held on a rubber gym floor, which made turns difficult enough.
The pair of Nike Zoom Waffle cross country running shoes I wore tonight as dance shoes are the same shoes I wore to dance practice in college several years ago. The ball of the sole is worn nice and smooth.
My conclusion is that Nike Zoom Waffle cross country running shoes work well as a aerobic dance shoe – AFTER you break them in and wear down some of the traction on the sole. Cross country shoes are a relatively inexpensive athletic shoe – especially if you can buy youth or boys’ sizes. Avoid track and field shoes, which are very similar, but have spikes.
Of course, there are athletic shoes designed especially for dance. Look for a circle or concentric circles on the ball of the foot of the sole of the shoe to identify atheltic dance shoes. Also see my “Best Zumba Shoes” and “Sticky Shoes During Zumba” and “Where to Buy Dance Shoes” posts at Rencsi.com for more information.
Best Zumba Shoes
While I search for the best shoes for Zumba, I do not recommend turf shoes or wrestling shoes for participating in Zumba or other aerobic dance classes.
One of the main gripes I hear from Zumba enthusiasts is that their regular gym shoes stick to the floor during class. Sticky shoes during Zumba can cause blisters or foot, ankle, or knee pain or injury.
While turf shoes are designed to allow you to comfortably train on a variety of surfaces, they probably still provide too much traction for Zumba or other ballroom or hip hop dance classes. On the bright side, turf shoes do feature a more narrow footprint – more like cross-training shoes and less like running shoes.
A better bet might be a wrestling shoe. While wrestling shoes are light and flexible, most wrestling shoes will only be available in mens’ or boys’ sizes and are only available in a high-top style. Wrestling shoes are not designed for impact and therefore do not provide a lot of arch support or sole cushion.
My recommendation is stick to athletic shoes designed specifically for dance or aerobics. If you’re not sure that a certain style is a dance shoe or aerobics shoe, look for a circle on the sole of the shoe at the ball of the foot. Not all dance shoes or aerobics shoes will have it, but it is a good way to tell if the shoe is going to allow you to turn on the ball of your foot or if you will stick to the floor instead.
If you can’t afford to buy athletic shoes just for Zumba, wear last year’s gym shoes. Be sure the traction on the sole has worn down on the ball of foot, but be sure the shoe can still provide cushion and support.
Also see my “Sticky Shoes During Zumba” and “Good Dance Shoes for Zumba” and “Where to Buy Dance Shoes” posts at Rencsi.com.
How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor II – Get Group Fitness Certified
Step II: Get Group Fitness Certified
As we now know, the first thing to do if you want to become a group fitness instructor is get CPR/AED certified. I was able to complete the course in a 5-hour class with a Red Cross-approved training company for $65.
The next step in becoming a group fitness instructor is to become group fitness certified. There are two major organizations that certify group fitness instructors and personal trainers – ACE (American Council on Exercise) and AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America).
If you have a particular gym or studio you’d like to work at or a favorite group fitness instructor, ask which certification the gym, studio, or instructor recommends. Some gyms require all group fitness instructors to also be certified personal trainers.
My Zumba instructor recommended getting both AFAA and ACE certified. ACE is more widely recognized and more difficult to get so I chose to get ACE certified first.
ACE’s Group Fitness Instructor Certification process involves studying the ACE Group Fitness Instructor Manual and Master the Manual Study Guide to pass the ACE Group Fitness Instructor Certification Exam. I ordered the Basic Group Fitness Instructor Home Study Program for $139.95 + $18 s&h. You can also order these materials individually through ACE or Amazon.
The ACE Group Fitness Certification Exam can be computer-based or pencil-and-paper, although the CBT is offered much more often than the traditional method test. There is a $259 charge to take the CBT exam.
AFAA offers a Group Exercise certification. The AFAA certification process involves a full-day workshop including written and practical exams. The cost of the study guides, workshop, and exam is $299.
Don’t be shy! Let your gym, studio, and instructors know you’re pursing the instructor certification – they could give you advice and it could get you a job when you complete your certification.
More to come on this topic! See also, How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor I – Get CPR/AED Certified.
Filed under exercise, group fitness, interests | Tags: ACE, aerobic, aerobics instructor, AFAA, america, american, association, certification, council, exam, exercise, Fitness, group, group fitness instructor, instructor, Zumba, zumba instructor | Comments (3)