Zumba Fitness Camp at Wellness Center July 20 to 24

Workout Fuses Latin Rhythms With Easy To Follow Dance Moves

Story by Sam Calhoun

“We had a blast!” exclaimed a recent participant of Zumba Fitness after leaving a packed class at the Broyhill Wellness Center. “That was so fun! It’s so cool,” said another, smiling and wiping sweat from his forehead. What’s interesting is that the first participant is 40 years older than the next, and one is male and the other female, yet their reaction to Zumba Fitness—a workout that fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms with easy-to-follow dance moves—is one in the same.

The goal of Zumba Fitness is to get people to workout by making them fall in love with how they work out. The endgame is forming nicely as the first Zumba Fitness class ever held in Boone—in May—netted 67 participants. The second class attracted 71 attendees and the rate of interest has only grown since, which is evident in the creation of Zumba Fitness Camp.

“Zumba is bringing them out!” said Gwen Dhing, Zumba instructor and co-owner of Makoto’s Seafood & Steakhouse. “You want people to look forward to working out and now they are—people are looking forward to these classes.” 

Zumba Fitness Camp takes place from Monday to Friday, July 20 to 24, at the Broyhill Wellness Center, located at 232 Boone Heights Drive in Boone. Classes take place at 5:30 p.m. Monday, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 4:15 p.m. Thursday and Friday, with an extra class hosted at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The camp and classes are free to Wellness Center members. Nonmembers can buy a membership, a day pass or a 10-time punch card at the Wellness Center to take part in the classes. A 10-time punch card costs $55 per person. Participants do not need to register for the camp. To participate, show up prior to each class.  

“Zumba is a Latin-infused dance-type class using worldly music, such as Salsa. The music is what makes it exciting and engaging. You can’t listen to it and not move,” said Dhing. “And it’s simple steps; we put simple exercise moves to music. We do one move, then add another move and when we get four moves together, we get a song. You feel like you’re dancing but you end up getting great exercise.”

According to Dhing, Zumba Fitness participants burn anywhere from 500 to 800 calories during each one-hour class. The routines feature interval-training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt the body while burning fat. International dance styles found in Zumba Fitness include Salsa, Salsa Travel, Salsa Back, Cumbia Funk, Reggaeton, Destroza, Diamond Step, Meringue and many more.

Dhing said participants should wear studio-type shoes, or shoes without much grip on the soles. Participants should not wear running or cross-training shoes, said Dhing. Participants should also wear breathable clothing because “we’re going to sweat,” added Dhing, as well as bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

In addition to the camp, Dhing hosts Zumba Fitness classes weekly at the Wellness Center at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and at 4:15 p.m. on Thursdays. Zumba Fitness classes are free with Wellness Center membership. Dhing said a new time for Zumba Fitness classes—6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays—is coming soon. 

For more information, call 828-266-1060.

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