Who says seniors are not anymore up for some dancing? Actually, seniors prefer dancing classes than going to the gym and lifting some weights. If you ask a group of seniors, especially senior women, they will tell you that they rather dance to a tune than concentrate in making their muscles all primed and bulked (which is a common misconception by the way since it is impossible for women to bulk up if they don’t introduce a “bulking” substance to the body such as steroids and supplements)
Anyway, while some of us seniors are busy in mastering awesome moves to match our dancing partners, a few of us are getting bored with their fitness routines. Whether you are looking for something new or you just need something to break the monotony of your fitness routine, why not try Zumba?
Actually, I am hearing a lot about this new addition to the ever growing list of workouts available for seniors. Would you believe that the first person to ever mentioned zumba to me is my granddaughter? She’s asking for a zumba game we can pop on the game console for our planned sleepover (we do that, sometimes I sleepover their place, but most of the time, she’s the one sleeping over to mine, it’s a good bonding opportunity, you know, and we enjoy it a lot). We weren’t able to get a zumba game then so we settled for a few rounds of golf and tennis—still on the game console.  The second time I heard about it was from a dear friend who’s already on her 60s, a fitness maniac, I fondly call her. Apparently, she’s attending a fairly new class and yes, it is zumba. I need not be invited, since my interest was then piqued. Needless to say, I was with her the next time she attended a zumba class!
First point, if you love Latin music and you feel like dancing to it, then Zumba is for you. It boasts of efficient calorie burning programs that are easy to follow, not to mention, fun. Also, Zumba can be done without a dancing partner so you don’t have to wait up for a partner if you would like to attend a Zumba class, or do a Zumba round for that matter. Seniors who are having doubts about Zumba, well you can now throw them out the window as Zumba is safe for seniors.  In fact, there is a Zumba program specifically designed for seniors.
Zumba Gold, as the program is called, targets active seniors who enjoy dancing to good music and making friends in a party-like atmosphere. The program focuses on the seniors’ ability, not on their limitations. Other classes offered are basic Zumba, toning, aqua, circuit and for kids so this can easily be a family activity for those who don’t have much time. However for those who are interested to try Zumba but are having problems going out, there are DVDs and games for Xbox and Wii which can equally make you sweat like you would in a class.