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With the winter months looming ahead, those that can’t hit the slopes often enough to fight off the Holiday pounds will be looking for an easy way to stay fit.
Some may try fad diets, pound on a treadmill or hit the gym. But those looking for a break from the mundane routine of dumbbells and rubber mats will have a new option.
Starting in September, the Breckenridge Recreation Center will offer regularly-scheduled Zumba classes.
“It is so much fun, and people really love it,” said Jackie Christiansen, a certified personal trainer who teaches Zumba classes in Dillon.
Zumba is a Latin-based cardio class that combines the dance moves and music of many Hispanic genres. But Christainsen said that this isn’t just a dance class, as the workout can help participants burn up to 700 calories in one hour.
“I had a personal training client wear a heart monitor to one of my classes,” Christiansen said. “She came in late but, in the 45 minutes that she was there, she burned almost 600 calories.”
Zumba works as an interval training program, where the music and dance moves will shift speeds in order to control a participant’s heart rate.
Interval training, Christiansen said, burns more calories than any other form of cardio exercise, because people are using more oxygen after the exercise is completed, causing their metabolic rate to be higher for longer.
Scientific lingo aside, participants in Christiansen’s classes come for one reason: It’s fun.
“It really invigorates you,” Carolyn Atkinson of Breck said. “[Christiansen] makes it really fun for you to want to do it.”
Atkinson was coming off major back surgery last fall when she was looking for a way to get back into shape. Luckily, she said, she found Zumba.
“It just made me feel like I was normal again, because you are constantly moving” she said. “And it’s not like there are a million steps, and you don’t know how to do it.”
Christiansen starting Summit County’s first Zumba class last November, after moving to the area from Washington D.C.
“When I found out that I was moving here last July, I went online and realized that no Zumba classes existed here,” she said. “So, I thought that I had to get certified, because I couldn’t stop doing this.”
She has since started a two-session-per-week program in Dillon. There are Tuesday evening classes at Dillon Valley Elementary at 7 p.m. and Thursday sessions at 11:30 a.m. at Dillon Community Church. There is a $7 class fee.
Like any other type of exercise, Christiansen advises her clients to try to work out at least three time per week, 30 minutes per day.
She said that people don’t need any dance experience to join the class.
“We get moms, grandmas, young kids. They all just love it,” Christiansen said. “All you have to do is keep moving, have fun, and I’ll try to give you guidelines to watch your breathing.”
Today, the Breck Rec Center will hold the first of its demo classes for Zumba at 5 p.m. It will also hold classes Monday (5:30 p.m.), Thursday (4:30 p.m.) and Friday (5 p.m.) of next week.
Bryce Evans can be reached at (970)668-4634 or at beavans@summitdaily.com.
Some may try fad diets, pound on a treadmill or hit the gym. But those looking for a break from the mundane routine of dumbbells and rubber mats will have a new option.
Starting in September, the Breckenridge Recreation Center will offer regularly-scheduled Zumba classes.
“It is so much fun, and people really love it,” said Jackie Christiansen, a certified personal trainer who teaches Zumba classes in Dillon.
Zumba is a Latin-based cardio class that combines the dance moves and music of many Hispanic genres. But Christainsen said that this isn’t just a dance class, as the workout can help participants burn up to 700 calories in one hour.
“I had a personal training client wear a heart monitor to one of my classes,” Christiansen said. “She came in late but, in the 45 minutes that she was there, she burned almost 600 calories.”
Zumba works as an interval training program, where the music and dance moves will shift speeds in order to control a participant’s heart rate.
Interval training, Christiansen said, burns more calories than any other form of cardio exercise, because people are using more oxygen after the exercise is completed, causing their metabolic rate to be higher for longer.
Scientific lingo aside, participants in Christiansen’s classes come for one reason: It’s fun.
“It really invigorates you,” Carolyn Atkinson of Breck said. “[Christiansen] makes it really fun for you to want to do it.”
Atkinson was coming off major back surgery last fall when she was looking for a way to get back into shape. Luckily, she said, she found Zumba.
“It just made me feel like I was normal again, because you are constantly moving” she said. “And it’s not like there are a million steps, and you don’t know how to do it.”
Christiansen starting Summit County’s first Zumba class last November, after moving to the area from Washington D.C.
“When I found out that I was moving here last July, I went online and realized that no Zumba classes existed here,” she said. “So, I thought that I had to get certified, because I couldn’t stop doing this.”
She has since started a two-session-per-week program in Dillon. There are Tuesday evening classes at Dillon Valley Elementary at 7 p.m. and Thursday sessions at 11:30 a.m. at Dillon Community Church. There is a $7 class fee.
Like any other type of exercise, Christiansen advises her clients to try to work out at least three time per week, 30 minutes per day.
She said that people don’t need any dance experience to join the class.
“We get moms, grandmas, young kids. They all just love it,” Christiansen said. “All you have to do is keep moving, have fun, and I’ll try to give you guidelines to watch your breathing.”
Today, the Breck Rec Center will hold the first of its demo classes for Zumba at 5 p.m. It will also hold classes Monday (5:30 p.m.), Thursday (4:30 p.m.) and Friday (5 p.m.) of next week.
Bryce Evans can be reached at (970)668-4634 or at beavans@summitdaily.com.
