American brings Zumba to Incheon
.jpg?w=728)
Crystal Larson, second from left in front row, poses with students at her Zumba fitness session at Sharp Gym, Songdo, Wednesday. / Courtesy of John Redmond
By John Redmond
The popular international fitness dance craze Zumba is seeing growth in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) of Songdo due to the efforts of Washington native Crystal Larson.
Zumba is a dance fitness program created in the 1990s by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto Perez.
The routine combines dance and aerobic elements and incorporates samba, salsa and mambo music.
The Korea Times recently spoke with Larson about Zumba.
Q: When did you first get involved in Zumba?
A:
I started doing Zumba four and a half years ago as a student and became a certified Zumba instructor in November 2014.
Q: What inspired you?
I was inspired to start Zumba after I had just had my third son and was looking for an exercise class to get me back into shape. I was bored with the treadmill, biking and elliptical machines, and wanted to get excited about exercising again. A friend told me about a new class called Zumba and how you can burn 500-1,000 calories in just one hour by dancing. I was hooked after taking my first Zumba class. Zumba became more than just an exercise program with me. It became a fun and easy way to lose weight.
Q: What are the benefits of Zumba?
There are many ways you can benefit from Zumba. You can burn a huge amount of calories in just one class. It hardly feels like a workout because it’s so much fun. Zumba can be adapted for any fitness level. My job as a certified instructor is to modify the moves so anybody at any fitness level and age can get a great workout.
You see amazing results! If you’re just starting with Zumba, give it three classes. Once you go a few times, the moves and repetition in the dances will become familiar. If you stick with it and have it become part of your exercise routine, the results will amaze you how your body tones and transforms.
It makes you happy. Between the music and calorie burning, you can’t help but leave a Zumba class feeling happy because you just had so much fun.
Q: How has it taken off in Korea?
Zumba is in the beginning stages here in Songdo. There are a few classes offered around the city, but it’s still new compared to the craze that it has become in the United States. My hope is to bring that kind of awareness and enthusiasm for Zumba to Songdo.