Zumba Gold

Zumba For All Ages and Abilities
The Zumba® Gold Fitness program is second to none. It is an innovative, fun and exciting program. It was designed for the active older adult, the true beginner, and/or people who are not used to exercising, or people who may be limited physically. The main difference between Zumba Gold and Zumba Basic is Zumba Gold is done at a lower intensity, not as fast, but it certainly is as fun. The same great Latin styles of music and dance are used.

This amazing program is very easy to follow so anyone at any age will be able to do Zumba Gold. Dances that are specifically highlighted in this program include the Merengue, Salsa Cha Cha, Cumbia, Salsa, Rock & Roll (including Twist and Charleston), Belly Dance, Flamenco, and Tango. Another program of Zumba Gold includes a chair workout for people who are sedentary or wheelchair bound. This is especially beneficial for those people who are in assisted living, and short and long term care facilities.

With the Baby Boomer population getting older and people living longer, the number of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double within the next 30-35 years. It only makes sense that the Zumba® Gold Fitness program will continue to grow with the aging population and be extremely popular because of the fun and party like atmosphere and health benefits.

Having worked in Long Term Care for the last 17 years, I know how extremely important it is to stay active especially as we get older. When I saw a Zumba® Gold Workshop offered in my area, I was ecstatic and immediately signed up. The training was a day long workshop with ZES (Zumba Educational Specialist) Instructors along with an internationally renowned fitness trainer who makes up part of the Zumba® Gold Development Team. What a “Joy” the class was. (hint, hint) The workshop started with a Zumba® Gold Master Class that was out of this world. Fun and excitement was on the menu for the entire day! I received a bag of goodies including the Zumba® Gold manual, some delicious snacks, and a Zumba® Gold Soundtrack CD. Zumba music on the Gold CD include; C'mon and Dance (Merengue); Cabo de la Vela (Salsa Cha Cha); Zumba Cumbia (Cumbia); Ya Llego (Salsa); El Twist de la Munequita (Rock 'n Roll). Warm ups are Muevete Pa Ca Muevete Pa lla and Quien Balia, Quien Goza. The cool downs are Mi Ritmo and Aromuzak. Remember these are done at a slower beat. First time instructors also received the 2005 Zumba® Fitness 4 DVD set.

 

 

The Zumba® Gold Soundtrack CD songs are: for warm ups: Muevete Pa ca Muevete Pa' lla, Quien Balla, Quien Goza; for the class: C'mon and Dance  (Merengue), Cabo de la Vela (Salsa Cha Cha) Zumba Cumbia (Cumbia), Ya Llego (Salsa), El Twist de la Munequita (Rock 'n Roll); for cool down: Mi Ritmo, Aromuzak.

As we age, changes take place in our bodies. We slow down a bit, we may have a few more aches and pains, sometimes we have changes with our blood pressure, body fat percentage, blood sugar, and of course, muscle mass, bone density and strength. It is all part of growing older. The Zumba® Gold  program takes these issues into consideration and strives to improve our balance, strength, flexibility and most importantly, the heart.  

A Zumba Gold class will be a little different than a Zumba Basic class. First, the class is usually a little shorter depending on the type of participants. Generally a class will last between 30 to 45 minutes. A longer warm up and cool down period is suggested (usually 10 to 15 minutes). The instructor should always be aware of students’ physical changes and make sure they participate at a level that is comfortable for them.  When you take a Zumba® Gold workshop or class be sure to wear comfortable workout clothing, take water and a towel, along with a "ready to party" attitude! 

The workshop covered topics like the physiology, psychology and benefits of Zumba Gold. Monitoring of exercise intensity, leadership and teaching skills, and instructor safety tips was also discussed. This workshop gave recommendations for teaching Zumba Gold using techniques and drills, and covered how to best utilize transition moves and cuing for these participants.

Some of the main goals and benefits of Zumba Gold include improving the quality of life; maintaining functional skills such as ADLs or activities of daily living; providing classes that are appropriate for the participants; to make sure the routine is easy to learn and follow so that success can be achieved quickly; and also to just have FUN.

Currently, there is no fitness DVD for Zumba Gold, but there is a hint that there may be one in the near future.  A person must attend a Zumba Gold workshop in order to teach a Zumba Gold class. If you are interested in becoming an instructor, go to Zumba.com and look for a workshop in your area. Zumba Gold training workshops and classes are being held frequently around the country and the world as the popularity and demand for these is rapidly increasing. I am a Zumba® Gold instructor as well as a Zumba® Basic Instructor. Being a new Instructor, I am currently working on developing a Zumba Gold program in my area. I will keep you updated on my progress. 

 

 

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