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by Nancy Bruning
Recipe for a spicy workout: Take some saucy Latin rhythms, add some easy-to-follow moves, combine with a nonjudgmental atmosphere in a brightly-colored container. Shake gently or vigorously, as you wish, for one hour. Voila: Zumba!
Zumba is a dance-based aerobic program that incorporates a variety of dance rhythms, including mambo, cha-cha, merengue, and cumbia with sometimes a little belly dancing or hip-hop thrown in as well, depending on the teacher.
This might sound daunting, but the moves are kept simple and the class is designed so that people of all levels and dance abilities can join in. Even during my first class at Wiggles and Giggles on W. 181st Street, I was able to pretty much follow along for the whole class. Stephanie, the instructor, first showed us slow versions of most of the steps, so we could master them before we switched to double-time.
Tip: just surrender to the music and you’ll be fine.
Not surprisingly, Zumba is spreading like wildfire.
Zumba, which is Colombian slang for buzzing like a bee or moving really fast, was invented in Colombia in the 1990s. The story is that it was actually created by accident, out of necessity. Beto Perez, an aerobics instructor, was about to teach a class but had forgotten his aerobics dance tapes. So, he used whatever tapes he had in his car – salsa and merengue from popular bands – and improvised a class to that music. The students went wild, demanded that he continue with this new type of class.
Zumba is now an empire and is taught by over 20,000 instructors in 35 countries.
Happily, this high-spirited, uplifting fitness routine has come to Washington Heights, where it is helping attendees tone and strengthen as they shimmy and sway hips and shoulders and work just about every muscle in their bodies.
It really is amazing what you can accomplish without weights or exercise equipment, I thought, as I sweated through the seamless routine. For student Lucille Iasello, it’s “my way of doing something to shed pounds without feeling like I’m exercising.”
True that.
And Joan Mahoney says, “I love the variety of it. It’s very motivating. On the treadmill, you can lose your motivation to keep going. In Zumba, it’s not boring.” Amen, sister. Zumba definitely keeps you on your toes.
Others tout the way it helps them relax and let go of stress and inhibitions – like taking a mini-vacation without the alcohol – and no one cares if you make a mistake.
Wiggles and Giggles is primarily a safe and stimulating play space for neighborhood kids five and under, with bright orange walls and a playful atmosphere. It purports to be a place “where the little folks thrill while the big folks chill.”
Yes and no, since during the three-times-a-week Zumba class the big folks wiggle like crazy while getting all hot and sweaty.
And, I’m pretty sure I heard a grown up or two giggle.
Wiggles and Giggles is located at 875 W. 181st St. (corner of Riverside Drive). For more information call 212-543-2393 or email
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Nancy Bruning has a master’s degree in public health, is a certified personal trainer, and is the author or co-author of over 25 books on health and fitness. She also is the Chair of the Friends Committee of the Fort Tryon Part Trust and leads outdoor fitness experiences and weight loss workshops. Visit Nancy’s web site at www.NancyBruning.net, hear her at www.blogtalkradio.com/Nancercize, or email her at
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