Since Zumba’s inception in 2001, the fitness program now offers 200,000 classes in more than 180 countries. A June 2022 Very Well Fit article states that Zumba's appeal is fun, high-energy workouts that keep participants motivated to exercise.

1. Studies Show
Zumba’s
Effectiveness

2. Since Zumba’s inception in 2001, the fitness program now
offers 200,000 classes in more than 180 countries. A June
2022 Very Well Fit article states that Zumba's appeal is fun,
high-energy workouts that keep participants motivated to
exercise. More than an enjoyable way to work out, Zumba
offers participants a range of benefits.
The Zumba program's Latin dance workouts comprise quick,
choreographed movements, a combination of Latin dances
done to salsa and international music. The workouts include
movements that promote strength training (muscle
conditioning), cardio, balance, and flexibility.

3. Zumba's history in the US begins with Alberto
(Beto) Perez, a Colombian dancer who launched
the fitness class in the 1990s. Perez's inspiration
for launching Zumba in the US came after he forgot
to bring the usual music for a fitness class he
taught at a local club. He substituted some salsa
and merengue tapes he had on hand, and
improvised the class that inspired his new
approach to fitness.
In 2000, he launched Zumba, partnering with two
investors to release three DVDs. The program's
high energy tempo became attractive to fitness
centers like 24 Hour Fitness and Lifetime Fitness.
Since then, Zumba has begun to offer classes
catering to various interests, such as Aqua Zumba,
Zumba Gold (seniors), and Zumba Step.

4. Scientific research supports Zumba's positive outcomes for healthy,
inactive women and their respiratory function and body composition
(the body's ratio of fat, bone, and water. A 2023 study published in
the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health comprised 41 women (ages 35-45) broken up into two
groups: an experimental group (Zumba) and a control group (no
Zumba). These women worked in banking administration, and spent
more than six hours doing sedentary tasks during their workdays.
Researchers evaluated the participants at three intervals during the
eight-week study: at the beginning (baseline), at four weeks, and at
eight weeks, and recorded their respiratory functions and body
composition changes over the course of the study.

5. The study's results were positive for the women who
participated in the Zumba classes over the eight-week trial.
For women who were active, participation culminated in
improved respiratory function, as seen through forced
expiratory volume in the first second, which refers to the
amount of air a person can exhale during a specific interval of
time. The women in the experimental group also experienced
a reduction in the estimation of the physiological lung age
(they became "younger"). Participating in Zumba classes
resulted in a decrease in body mass, fat tissue, and body
mass index (the measure of fat composition in the body
based on height and weight).

6. Zumba also positively impacted older people's cognitive function.
According to study results published in a 2019 American Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, older women who
participated in Zumba classes for six months experienced
measurable improvements in their cognition, measured by
visuospatial memory and response inhibition activities.
Like the previous study, the women aged 55 to 80 with no cognitive
impairment were separated into control and experimental groups.
Researchers recruited this study population through the
community's registry. In addition to receiving information about
memory loss, participants were encouraged to continue a regular
exercise routine. Participants also met with a coordinator to whom
they reported their physical activity.

7. The Zumba intervention involved the experimental group taking 60-minute
Zumba sessions twice a week. Over six months, participants took part in 40
Zumba sessions. Researchers observed visuospatial working memory and
response inhibition tasks. Visuospatial working memory refers to the ability
to analyze, synthesize, transform, and manipulate images, and response
inhibition is an executive function referring to self-control.
The only limitation of the study was its sample size. However, the
conclusions suggest that older women's cognition might be positively
impacted by simply participating in a Zumba class twice a week for 60
minutes for at least six months.