Warm Up For Zumba Classes

Hello my fellow Zumba fitness instructors!! I have been asked several times about proper warm-ups and cool downs. By textbook, a WARM UP is to prepare the body for vigorous exercise and may reduce the risk of injury. When I do an instructor training class for group exercise or Zumba fitness master class I always tell my students to think about what they are going to be doing in class and to use the warm up to get the body ready for those types of moves. For example, in Zumba (Latin type classes) you want to warm your class up with directional movements, arm movements, hip movements and feet movement to name a few. When planning your warm up you want to keep this in mind. LASTLY, your warm up should be very carefree…I usually don’t choreograph this portion of my Zumba class.

I just MOVE, focus on what I mentioned above and use this time to GET IN TUNE WITH MY ZUMBA CLASS. I usually talk and “have fun”, make eye contact and smile at each person and I also watch my class and see how they are moving with these basic moves in the warm-up it usually tells me a lot. I can then adjust my Zumba class accordingly. If there is a new move in one of your Zumba routines, the warm up is a great place to “show it” so then when that routine comes up they have already been introduced and they will feel more accomplished when they do that new Zumba workout! OKAY…NOW THE OTHER END..THE COOL DOWN..by text book the purpose of the cool down is to provide a transitional period between the “work” segment and the stretch/muscular strengthening segments of your class.

Without a gradual cool down period, the blood can pool in the extremities immediately and cause fainting. Moderate to slow rhythmic movements for the upper and lower body will enable the muscles of the extremities to pump the blood back to the heart and brain. You want to use this time to bring the heart rate back down (100 beats or less). U really want to use the easy foot movement (side to side)…a slow salsa.. to bring the heart rate down…use movements that stretch the areas of the body that you worked in the “work” segment of your class…eventually stopping and stretching for the full range of motion.. this is where I put on some sexy salsa slow music in my Zumba workout or for other classes slow funky music and stretch and talk to the class…see how they liked it and “bond” with them…this is an opportunity to build relationships with your Zumba classes…they are your number one marketing tool! You take care of them then they will take care of you. The power of word of mouth is amazing! To see proper warm ups being used in a Zumba video check out www.darsfitness.com

Also if you are looking to advertise, use key people in your classes…get email addresses…people in your classes have businesses that they can put flyer up or maybe you can get an email list from them or give the flyer to them that they can forward!!!
Next time I will be talking about liability issues, fun stuff huh!!! lol…
DAR
www.darsfitness.com