Fitness sizzles with Zumba

ROSEBURG, Ore. – Turn up the heat in your workouts when “Zumba in the Park” returns in June!

Burn calories Wednesday evenings in Stewart Park at dance fitness parties that have become an international fitness craze.

Roseburg Parks and Recreation and the YMCA of Douglas County are teaming up to offer free Zumba sessions at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday from June 11 through August 27. Y instructors will teach the family friendly, high-energy cardio dance fitness classes that mix low- and high-intensity moves to upbeat music in the grass just west of the large pavilion.

“For anyone looking for a mid-week pick-me-up, Zumba in the Park offers a high-energy workout with a dance element,” said Roseburg Parks and Recreation Coordinator Tracy David. “You don’t have to be a great dancer or extremely physically fit – it’s just a fun way to get in a quick workout.”

Zumba is a dance fitness program developed in the 1990s by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Perez. He was raised in Colombia by a single mother and was working three jobs by age 14. Perez loved dancing but couldn’t afford dance lessons. He was accepted to one of Cali, Colombia’s, best dance academies after winning a national lambada contest and taught step aerobics while studying dance.

Perez later moved to Miami, where he taught aerobics and developed Zumba, an exercise fitness program that has gained an international following by combining dance, aerobic exercise and martial arts moves that are performed to music.

No registration is needed for the classes in Roseburg, but please arrive a few minutes early to sign in. Wear comfortable workout clothing and bring water – and expect a decent turnout where you could make new friends.

“It gets a big crowd each time,” David added.

For more information, call the YMCA at 541-440-9622 or Roseburg Parks and Recreation at 541-492-6899.