Zumba is an exhilarating clash between your last wild alcohol induced trip to Senor Frogs in Mexico and a heart pounding (sober) aerobics class that will inspire you to get active and stay fit.

The energy in this class is so intense that you may completely forget that you are, in fact, in a gym in Canada during the cold snow driven bleakness of winter.

If you struggle to find a form of exercise that motivates you to begin a healthy lifestyle, this type of captivating class is perhaps the key. Once you start any form of exercise you immediately gain energy and increase stamina which facilitates the launch into maybe a more difficult class that otherwise may not have been an option for you to begin with.

Zumba is ideal for beginners to advanced as you ultimately decide how much energy you are willing and able to exert, however, be warned that once you feel the Latin beat infiltrate your blood stream you may have no choice. Incidentally, men are not banned from participating but oddly enough you would think that’s the case.

Cha cha, merengue, lambada, salsa, belly dancing and even Bali are a few of the dance styles that certified Zumba instructors choreograph to a routine combined with the hottest hypnotic Latin rhythms that gets into your very core and the other core. Repetition is key, so the moves become very familiar and can be learned quickly, giving you the chance to conquer those hip rolls and thrusts before the routine is shaken up once again to ensure you are properly challenged each time you Zumba.

Zumba is great for all ages and definitely gets the heart pounding, the muscles engaged and the calories burned and done with (up to 500 per class). Mental stimulation is also a bonus as you stumble through your first class your mind is jolted into reacting to its new Latin reality and is forced to conform quickly by memorizing each routine over and over. This, of course, is what all the hype is about regarding memory preservation as we age.

According to the Zumba website, the workout was born in the mid-1990s when Colombian fitness trainer Beto Perez forgot his tapes for an aerobics class and was forced to improvise with his own Latin music and moves accidently creating a spark in the fitness world. After moving to the US Perez was approached by American entrepreneurs who created a home-video version and later, upon demand, began standardized instructor training programs. Today, there are more than 30,000 certified instructors in over 40 countries worldwide lovin’ Zumba.

If you’ve been mulling over your fitness options and are left feeling unimpressed or unmotivated, look around and investigate. We are all extremely aware of the numerous benefits exercise offers our bodies, minds and souls and finding an activity that we’re passionate about can give us the motivation to begin or accelerate towards our fitness goals. Maybe it is Zumba, maybe it’s definitely not Zumba, take the time to find your motivating force, it’s invaluable.

This column was written by Blackbelts, Lake Country’s ultimate fitness club. For more information on Zumba call Blackbelts at (250)766-5665.