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
NEW Zumba Shoes from Zumba Fitness!
They’re finally here! The Z1 Zumba Dance Sneaker from Zumba Fitness!
As far as I can tell, only Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) members can order these shoes from the Zumbawear shop as of February 20, 2010. Here is a screen shot with the description and details. If you’re not a ZIN member, talk to your favorite Zumba instructor about ordering you a pair of Z1 Zumba Sneakers!
How Many Calories Does Zumba Burn?
I recently saw a thread on MyFitnessPal.com discussing how many calories does Zumba burn. Not that I need a reason to do Zumba, but what a good question!
The Zumba FAQ does vaguely address the question:
How many calories can I burn during a Zumba class?
The number of calories each person burns per class varies. However, depending on your body parameters (type, composition, intensity, range of motion), you can burn hundreds of calories per class.
A good source for calories burned is the list of Calories Burned During Exercise list from NutriStrategy.
Calories burned during exercise is affected by body weight, intensity of workout, conditioning level, and metabolism. Calories burned per hour are listed below for the example body weights of 130, 155, and 190 pounds.
According to NutriStragegy, “Dancing, aerobic, ballet or modern, twist” burns 354 calories per hour for a 130-pound person, 422 calories per hour for a 155-pound person, and 518 calories per hour for a 190-pound person.
The only way to know exactly how many calories you are burning during any given Zumba class is by wearing a heart rate monitor that is able to take into account your heart rate as well as your age, height, weight, and gender to calculate your personal amount of calories burned.
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness, health | Tags: calorie, Calories, calories burned, Dance, group fitness, heart rate montior, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, zumba music, zumba songs | Comment (0)My November Zumba Song List
Better late than never… 
Happy Thanksgiving!
La Fiesta (Flamenco + Belly Dance / Warm Up)
Zumba Original Soundtrack
I Gotta Feeling (Hip Hop)
Black Eyed Peas
Ça Plane Pour Moi (Merengue)
(Plastic Betrand – National Lampoon’s European Vacation Soundtrack)
Baila Esta Cumbia (Cumbia)
Zumba Megamix 14
Bonita (Samba)
Zumba Megamix 14
La Morena (Merengue)
Zumba Megamix 14
Solo Se Vive Una Vez (Rumba Flamenca)
(Zumba ZIN Megamix 13)
Rompe (Hip Hop)
(Daddy Yankee)
Fuego (Cumbia)
(Zumba ZIN Megamix 4)
African Beat (African)
(Zumba ZIN 22)
Ritmo Caliente (Quebradita)
Zumba ZIN 22)
Krazy (Hip Hop)
(Pitbull Featuring LiL Jon)
Dance the Night Away (Salsa)
(The Mavericks – The Best of the Mavericks)
Every Breath You Take (Cool Down)
(UB40 – 50 First Dates Soundtrack)
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)Zumba Faq – What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba class?
Straight from the horse’s mouth: What does Zumba Fitness have to say about finding the best Zumba shoes?
What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba class?
Zumba Fitness recommends that you wear “cross training” or “aerobic” style shoes. They provide the cushion and medial lateral support needed for side-to-side movements. They also have low traction rubber for easy sliding and turning. Please be careful with “running shoes” since they use a heavy tread on the bottom and are designed for forward movement.
Click here to read more Zumba Faq’s.
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness | Tags: athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, group fitness, shoes, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, Zumba shoes | Comment (1)Coming Soon: Z1 Zumba Shoes
According to today’s Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) newsletter, Zumba will be introducing its own Z1 Zumba dance shoe in December 2009.
According to the Zumba ZIN newsletter:
THE ZUMBA® SHOE IS COMING!
It was the convention’s ultimate sneak(er) preview — the all-new Zumba shoe called “Z1″! Yes, they were for sale at the convention. And yes, they will be stepping out into limelight of the ZIN Shop page in December. Holiday shopping anyone? Everyone at the convention was talking about the snazzy black-and-white sneaks. And all agreed that the logos on the bottom were beyond cool.
Keep a eye on the Zumbawear shop or talk to your favorite Zumba instructor about which athletic dance shoes are best for Zumba.
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness | Tags: athletic dance shoes, athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, shoes, Zumba, zumba clothes, zumba instructor, Zumba shoes, zumba wear, zumbawear | Comment (0)Where to Buy Dance Shoes
I did it. I broke down and bought a pair of Nike Musique IV dance shoes for Zumba.
There are a wide variety of dance shoes available online, but I had been hesitating about making a purchase. I personally don’t like to buy shoes online for several reasons:
1. I like to try shoes on.
2. I don’t like to pay for shipping.
3. I’m afraid I won’t get around to making returns.
4. I rent an apartment, which can make receiving shipments difficult.
So last week, when I found a pair of Nike Musique IV dance shoes on a clearance rack at Famous Footware, I decided it was time to buy. The pair of dance shoes I found are metallic grey and cool blue – a little more flashy than I would like, but you get what you pay for. I paid $40, which is about a 30% discount off the $60 regular price.
My advice for those of us who are not online bargain hunters, watch for dance shoes on clearance racks at stores like Famous Footware, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, or regular sporting goods stores. They are out there and you will find them, sooner or later…
Also see my “Sticky Shoes During Zumba” and “Best Zumba Shoes” and “Good Dance Shoes for Zumba” posts.
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.
