Zumba is a great way to burn calories and lower your stress levels (largely from laughing at yourself, if you dance anything like me). To some extent, the dance workout even provides some toning benefits as well.

Can you lose weight with the Zumba Wii game or Zumba group fitness classes?

The Latin infused dance burns between 300 and 650 calories per hour. With most classes being between 60 and 90 minutes long, it's easy to see that taking a class a few times a week can quickly add up to a significant calorie deficit and weight loss.


How to lose weight with Zumba Wii or classes

If you are trying to lose weight by taking the group fitness classes, your biggest challenge is going to be getting to the class at the local gym, even when you are tired from a long day of work.

If you're going to buy the Wii Zumba game and do your exercising at home, you're going to have to be disciplined enough to self monitor and maintain the motivation to play most days of the week. For most people, this is not a problem because it is entertaining and even a little bit addicting because you will end up wanting to beat your last score.

Another huge benefit to using the game at home for your weight loss efforts is that it actually includes a tracking system that keeps a tally of your calories burned per workout. For me, being able to see those numbers has always been a source of motivation, as well as essential knowledge when it comes to how much progress I have made in a workout (similar to the effect that wearing a Bodybugg can have).



Recommended length and frequency for this kind of workout
In order to lose weight with the classes or Wii Zumba, you should expect to do between 30 and 90 min. of the workout, between 5 and 6 days per week.

On days where you do other kinds of training (swimming, running, walking programs, strength training and weightlifting, etc) you can always cut back on the time that you are doing dancing workouts. For example, if you spend 50 minutes on the elliptical machine one day, you can either skip the dance workout, or do a shorter, abbreviated version of what you would normally do.

Variety is always good when it comes to training styles, so don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things; you will make progress faster by keeping your muscles guessing, and you will help fight off boredom.


Combine your cardio workouts with toning and strength training routines.
If your one and only goal is dropping weight, stay with me here; adding some lean muscle will not only make you look better, it will also help you reach your weight loss goals faster. Muscle takes up less room than fat (potentially meaning a smaller waist, thighs, bum, etc), it doesn't jiggle, and it burns calories at a higher rate than fat does.

If you are going to incorporate some kind of toning routine to your weekly cardio workouts, aim to do so between 2 and 4 times a week, cutting the length of cardio workouts in half in order to make both time and energy for the strength training routine.

If you want to see results really fast, you can keep up with the 60 to 90 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 days a week, and do the toning workouts at a second interval later in the day, 2 to 4 days a week. If you adapt this kind of rigorous routine, make sure that you are drinking enough water and eating properly so that your body stays strong and capable of easily maintaining the necessary energy levels for so much activity.


Making healthy food choices to speed up weight loss
To maximize your success in dropping extra pounds with this kind of cardio, you're going to really want to start being aware of what you put into your body, nutrition wise.

Maintaining or achieving a healthy body weight is largely calories in versus calories burned, but not all calories are created equally.

When you are making your meal selections, opt for foods that are clean; eat fresh and raw whenever possible, make your diet largely plant-based, and steer clear of highly processed foods (most things that come in a box or package, even when they say “healthy” on the label, would be best avoided).

Combine a wholesome and healthy diet with the regime of 5 to 6 days of cardio via the dance classes or dance game, and you are going to see results and changes in your body quickly.