Virgin Active members dance to a different beat

Virgin Active’s gyms and health clubs have always treated their members to an innovative selection of fitness and exercise classes, each one toning, tightening, burning, sculpting and refreshing in its own unique way. But right now, one particular exercise class is taking the health club, not to mention the world, by storm.

Enter Zumba, the brainchild of Beto Perez. The Colombian aerobics instructor created the dance exercise phenomenon by accident in the 1999 when he forgot his regular workout music and was forced to improvise some moves to an old tape of salsa and merengue music he found lying at the bottom of his rucksack. It was a life-changing moment as, amongst the Latino beat, rhythmic shimmying and feel good atmosphere, Zumba was born.

After quickly capturing the imagination of the Colombian public. Perez took his invention to America, where Zumba truly exploded. Today, the dance fitness program has sold more than four million DVDs and attracts more than six million people to 50,000 classes every week, all across more than 70 countries.

Zumba swept its way across the UK last year and April 2010 saw Beto visit for his inaugral Virgin Active Zumba Tour, which took in a selection of Virgin Active Health Clubs. His classes proved such a hit that he is now coming back for more.

Reflecting on the success of his creation, he said: "Zumba is so popular because it provides a total body workout. The routines feature aerobic interval training, combining fast and slow rhythms, with a combination of moves that tone and sculpt the body.

"Zumba targets key areas such as glutes, legs, arms, abdominals and is great for getting the heart rate up for burning calories. It is particularly effective on the abs and obliques. It also increases your strength and flexibility."

In its essence, Zumba mingles fast and slow rhythms with a range of Latin moves and exercise steps to tone the body while simultaneously burning fat. The routines are set to traditional Colombian music and pop hits. What is more, anyone can enjoy the classes - in fact, Beto believes that Zumba also serves to boost self-esteem and confidence.

"After one class (shy people are) hooked. The fact that there is no strict routine to follows means people don't have to worry about not looking the part. It's all about the enjoyment of the class with the added bonus of getting a great workout."

So if you are a Zumba Virgin, get a taste of something you have never experienced before with the Virgin Active Zumba Tour, coming soon to a health club near you.

For more information on Virgin Active health clubs and Zumba classes, visit: virginactive.co.uk