BAMBERG, Germany -- Having fun and dancing away to a healthier lifestyle is easy when participating in Zumba.
Zumba is a fitness program that combines Latin dance and aerobics into one.
One unit here put it to the test Monday by taking part in a Zumba class for their morning physical training.
1st Sgt. Johanna Castro, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, arranged for the company to participate in the class.
"It was something different outside from running," said Castro. "Everyone got something out of it."
"You work muscles you don't normally work when running or doing push-ups," she said. "I recommend it to other units not just for the physical aspect but to boost morale; we will do it again."
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Wally Garcia, HHC 391st CSSB, said he had fun and enjoyed the class.
"This was an extremely outstanding experience and I recommend it to other units," said Garcia.
"Don't be nervous about the moves, everyone is making some mistakes so it is fun," he said. "Anything aerobic is a good work-out as it keeps the heart rate up."
Zumba has caught on here at Warner Barracks, with many spouses partaking in the classes offered at the Freedom Fitness Facility. Several Zumba members have performed Zumba dances at events on post over the past year here.
Since Zumba's beginning in 2001, it has grown to classes in over 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries worldwide, according to the website www.zumba.com.
"It is a fun way to do exercise without realizing you are burning up to 1,000 calories in one hour," said Suyin Mojica, one of two Zumba instructors at the FFF.
Mojica has been a certified instructor for over a year and has been participating in Zumba for five years.
She teaches the evening classes on Monday and Wednesday at the FFF.
"Zumba releases stress, burns calories and teaches you basic dance moves to Latin music," Mojica said.
Mojica has also coordinated with Child Youth and School Services to offer a class for children called Zumbatomic. This program is custom designed for kids ages four to 12.
The other instructor at the FFF, Nadine Peña, teaches Zumba in the morning on Tuesday and Thursday as well as Thursday afternoon.
Peña explains that Zumba is about the music and the fun; it is not for everyone but worth a try.
"The choreography is easy and not as challenging as it may appear," Peña said. "Many people think they have to be a great dancer, but that is not true."
There is room for up to 70 participants per class at the FFF and the cost is $5 per class.
For more information, call 0951-300-9086/8890.
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