The newest aerobic exercise to take the workout scene by storm is Zumba. It’s an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance aerobic workout that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health.
Zumba was created by Alberto “Beto” Perez by accident. Perez was a fitness instructor in his native Cali, Colombia. In the mid 1990’s Beto darted off to teach an aerobics class and forgot his traditional aerobics music. He took tapes that he had in his backpack and made up his own moves. That day he created a new kind of dance fitness which lets the music move you. Energy electrified the room; people couldn’t stop smiling.
In 2001, Beto decided to take his new style of aerobic workout to Miami, Florida, where he met entepreneurs Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion. All three of them were from Colombia and all three had a vision to bring this dynamic dance-fitness class to the masses. The three men created a business called Zumba Fitness, which they trademarked as Zumba. They set a goal to expand the brand all over the world. First came the DVDs, then the infomercial – which introduced the Zumba Fitness-Party to the public on a wide-scale basis – then came the demand for Zumba classes and Zumba Instructors. By 2005, Zumba Fitness spawned a full-fledged Zumba Academy™ to license Zumba Instructors to teach Zumba classes. More expansion followed with the launch of Zumbawear™ apparel and accessories, music CDs, and in 2008, one of the best-selling at-home fitness DVD series ever – the Zumba Fitness® Total Body Transformation System – which starred Beto and introduced Zumba Fitness’ newest stars, Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant. In 2010, Zumba shook the ground (once again) by being the first branded fitness program to launch a video game on all three major gaming platforms: Wii, Xbox, and PS3.
Fast forward to today, the Zumba program is now taught in gyms and studios all over the world to millions of Zumba enthusiasts. And as the program continues to evolve – from its humble beginnings, to a global movement, to a way of life – its growth has only deepened our commitment to providing accessible fitness, without the strain, without the sacrifice, just the pure joy of a party.
Due to the fact that everyone who does Zumba has a smile on their face, we deemed it a “happy accident” that it was discovered.
If you are looking for a fun way to workout that does not seem so much like working out, try it. You can find Zumba on DVD, games, or you can join a class.
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