Fitness and fun galore

You have to experience Zumba to understand it. It is not just about the adrenaline rush or sweating your guts out, Zumba leaves you with so much energy that you can hardly wait for the next session, writes Njoki Chege

What is Zumba?

Zumba fitness is the Latin-inspired dance-fitness programme that blends international music and spontaneous steps to form a ‘fitness-party’. And like most great inventions, Zumba began as an accident — a happy accident.

Josephine (in blue scarf) during one of the fitness sessions.

Unlike other physical exercises that leave your body aching, Zumba has no side effects. Zainab Ismael, a student of Josephine, can attest to this.

"I tried aerobics, which made me ache the next day, Zumba has no aches. Keeping fit has never been so much fun," she says.

Besides toning your body, — especially the stomach area, Zumba frees your mind. When you walk in with stress, you walk out relieved. A common joke at the MOW Fitness Centre goes like this, ‘If you want to ask a Zumba student for a favour, ask them after a Zumba class — they will definitely say yes.’

Not just anyone’s cup of tea

There are only four certified Zumba instructors in Kenya. Owing to the current Zumba craze, there ought to be some people masquerading as Zumba instructors.

However, this will prove to be a difficult task because for one to qualify as a Zumba instructor, there are standard qualifications they must meet.

Zumba is a registered trademark with its copyrighted music. There is also a Zumba Academy to license instructors to teach the classes. Then there is the Zumbawear that includes apparel and accessories, all registered to Zumba.

So what does it take to be a Zumba instructor?

"To become an instructor, one needs to have at least another group exercise certification and first aid certificate, then learn and master the Zumba Fitness rhythms under tutelage of a certified Zumba Fitness instructor.

All geared up for Zumba.[PHOTOS: MAXWELL AGWANDA/STANDARD]

This can take between six months to one year, depending on how often one takes classes. After that, one has to travel to the US or Europe for certification with a Zumba Educational Specialist (ZES)," explains Liz, who began as a student and is now teaching more than 300 people a week at various gyms and health clubs.

"Zumba instructors pay membership fee to access the music. Besides, we have a Zumba forum where the moves are standardised and the choreography sent to the instructors worldwide," says Josephine, a former student of Liz.

Josephine began training last September and is now training 100 people a week. Liz urges people to refrain from pirating Zumba music.

"Zumba is a protected brand. The certified instructors spend thousands of US dollars to go for training, then spend $30 (Sh2,500) per month towards Zumba Instructors’ Network membership. It is unfair that people are selling poor quality DVDs, tarnishing Zumba fitness image and ignoring the copyright warnings on those DVD’s," Liz says.