SUNY Niagara Zumba

By Marissa Lafferty

Did you know that there is weekly Zumba on the Suny Niagara campus that all students can participate in?

For those who don’t know, Zumba is a fitness program that combines cardio and Latin-inspired dance. It was created by dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez, while working as an aerobics instructor in Cali, Colombia, in the 1990s. Forgetting to bring his regular music, Pérez used cassette tapes of Latin dance music like merengue and salsa for his class, and thus Zumba was born. Since then, Zumba has become a global phenomenon loved and experienced by people all over the world (except the Haredi settlement of Beitar Illit, Israel which banned all-female participants and female teachers to participate in the activity in 2013 and Iran for being un-Islamic in 2017 and six people were arrested in the same year in Iran for teaching Zumba as they were trying to “change lifestyles”).

What’s great about Zumba is that it’s adaptable at any level of fitness. This means that you don’t have to have any certain skillset to be able to start participating. You can start anytime without worry. There is also the possibility of meeting new people with like mindsets, as well as the ability to join a community that will support you through your highs and lows.

Zumba is not only fun to do but also has great health benefits. It can help reduce blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol and can lower the risk of heart disease. Due to Zumba being a total body aerobic and cardio workout a lot of calories are typically burned during the Zumba session, and you can also build muscle mass evenly throughout your body. Exercising can help to reduce fatigue, enhance overall cognitive function, and improve alertness and concentration. Exercising also releases endorphins through your body that cause both the mind and body to feel happier and healthier. Zumba can also help to build your confidence as you feel great after the workout and can watch yourself improve week by week.

So, if you want to experience the joys of Zumba and all of its benefits yourself, then come to the Zumba classes that are held every Monday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM. The class is taught by Kelly Lord and costs (from what can be found online), only a dollar (What a steal!). It’s advisable that you wear something akin to workout attire and sneakers when you go, so that you can move more freely as you exercise. The classes are held in room [room] and the fitness level is medium. And, if you like the classes so much than you can take a Zumba class for a college credit during a semester that provides it (they had it this semester but will not be having it next semester). For those of you who are interested in learning more about Zumba, want to find more classes, or have a conflicting schedule to the classes offered at Suny Niagara then you can head right over to the Zumba website (yes, they do have a website, as Zumba itself is technically an organization). Hope to see you in the Zumba class next week.