By Lorie Dudley

Like many people, I was hooked on Zumba after just one class. I walked out of the class, sweat pouring down, with a big smile on my face. The Latin-inspired dance fitness class really did feel more like a party than a workout, and I was immediately hooked. If you’re unfamiliar with or new to this fun yet kick-butt fitness class, creator Beto Perez’s Zumba; Ditch the Party, Join the Workout! The Zumba Weight Loss Program (Wellness Central/ 2009) explains the conception of Zumba, the basic steps, routines, and a weight loss program that “emphasizes 'bodyshaping' foods.”

A lot of people, like me, go to their first Zumba class knowing little, if anything about it. The name of the class alone sounded fun and was enough to lure me from the drudgery of my usual 30 minutes on the elliptical. For those who are nervous about stepping into a class they know nothing about, Perez’s book answers the basic questions about Zumba; what it is, what makes it so popular, as well as the physical and psychological benefits.

The book begins with a brief description of Zumba (pronounced ZOOM-bah), “a dance based group fitness class that incorporates moves such as the meringue, mambo, salsa, rumba, cha-cha and other’s into an amazing workout.” According to Perez, you can burn from 600 to 1000 calories an hour, boost your metabolic rate, reduce stress, and improve your self-esteem by doing Zumba alone. I can tell you from experience that regular Zumba will turn your body into a fat burning machine, improve your self confidence, and for at least one hour, you’ll forget about planning dinner, the mortgage, and your nosy neighbor.

Perez offers suggestions which will be especially helpful for beginners such as proper clothing, hydration, and how to get the most from the class. He also explains and illustrates the four basic steps of Zumba; meringue, salsa, cumbia, and reggaeton. However, if you have never been to a Zumba class, you might find it very difficult to learn the steps from the illustrations in the book. Unfortunately, you should not expect much either from the book’s accompanying DVD.

The DVD, which is said to include three twenty-minute Zumba workouts, only demonstrates the four basic moves and contains music created for Zumba, which I was unable to even download to my computer or ipod. The book does include written choreography for the music on the DVD, which might be helpful to intermediate or more advanced enthusiasts, but difficult for beginners who have not grasped the basic steps. If the DVD contained actual routines, however, I think that beginners could possibly grasp the illustrations from the book, put them into practice, and feel more confident when entering their first class.

The Zumba Diet is actually four diets: The Zumba 5-Day Express, the Zumba Flat Abs Diet, The Zumba Thin Thighs Diet, and the Zumba Basic Diet. Each diet emphasizes what Perez calls “bodyshaping” foods. According to Perez these “bodyshaping” foods “form the core of the Zumba Diet” and are foods that have been shown to target specific parts of the body, such as the abdominals and thighs.” I can’t say if there’s anything to his theory but I do agree that the foods he suggests are those that “everyone should be eating, every day.”

The Zumba 5-Day Express diet is designed to burn fat, control hunger, reduce bloating, and give you a “psychological boost.” The diet includes pre-planned menus and does not allow any deviation. In other words, you must “eat exactly what is listed.” For best results, the book suggests doing Zumba an hour after you have eaten a meal. Provided you follow the book’s instructions, Perez suggests that you could burn up to 1000 calories an hour and lose up to nine pounds in five days depending on your originating weight. The express diets limits calories so much that even Perez does not advise staying on the diet more than five days at a time. As a certified personal trainer I would never recommend this diet to clients. Most health care professionals will tell you that a nine-pound weight loss in five days is extreme so talk to your doctor before you begin this diet.

The Zumba Basic Diet, when combined with regular Zumba workouts, is designed to promote a 2-3 pound weight loss per week, which is generally considered a safe rate of weight loss. While the diet is higher proportionately in protein it contains enough unrefined (complex) carbohydrates to promote steady weight loss. The diet allows a moderate amount of healthy fats, permits only a minimal amount of sugar, and encourages foods with high fiber content and fruits and vegetables. The basic diet allows three meals and two snacks a day, which is considered optimal fueling for the body. The diet provides advice for planning your own meals as well as eating out. The plan allows more deviation and provides fourteen days of menus using recipes that are easy to prepare. This is a diet I would recommend to my clients, provided their doctor also approves.

The Zumba Flat Abs Diet doesn’t deviate much from the Zumba Basic Diet, but suggests focusing on monounsaturated fats. Olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, and avocados are all foods that have been shown to reduce belly fat. The Zumba Thin Thighs Diet also does not deviate far from the Basic Diet but suggests increasing fiber, which has been shown to reduce estrogen in the body. Evidently, estrogen, the female hormone, distributes fat to the thighs and hips; scientists believe reducing estrogen naturally with fiber will cause less fat to be deposited to the lower body.

The book may be helpful to readers who want to learn a little about the origin of Zumba and have a better understanding about what makes Zumba different from other group fitness classes. However, you would learn more from taking just one class, than you would from the entire book.

Again, you should not expect much from the DVD other than a short instructional on the basic steps.

For those already familiar with Zumba but looking for a supplemental nutritional program to help them to loose weight, the book may also be helpful. However, I recommend that readers exercise caution before beginning the 5-day express diet especially and seek the advice of a doctor before beginning this or any other exercise program or diet.

Celebrity fitness trainer Alberto "Beto" Perez is orginally from Cali, Colombia. Before creating and launching Zumba in the U.S. in the late '90s, Perez attended the Maria Sanford Brazilian Dance Academy, became an instructor and choreographed dance routines for high profile performers, including platinum album selling artist Shakira. He now resides in Miami, FL. The Zumba brand sells DVDs, CDs, clothing and workout gear at www.Zumba.com and www.Zumbafitness.com

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