Zumba: One of the Craziest Workouts Twitterers Have Tried
Zumba Helped This "American Idol" Contestant Lose 80 Pounds
Zumba's Express Diet: Lose 9 Pounds in 5 Days?

Need a workout that's as fun as it is effective? Look no further than the dance floor.

Zumba: The word definitely sounds more like a festive tropical energy drink than a workout and I'll admit, until recently I'd never heard of it either. But if trend tracking is to be believed, this Latin-themed aerobic dance workout -- sometimes called zumba dance -- may be on the way to your gym even as we speak. As of July 2009, classes were being offered at over 40,000 gyms in 75 countries. And spinoff genres--among them Country Line Dancing Zumba, Aqua Zumba, an even Zumba Gold for seniors are gaining ground.

The Zumba story's a pretty winning one: Back in the 1990s, Alberto Perez, a young aerobics instructor teaching in Cali, Columbia, arrived at his class only to realize he'd forgotten all his tapes. Luckily, he had plenty of salsa and merengue tracks in his car -- he grabbed them, and proceeded to improvise the whole class to those beats. People loved it and there was, he says, just no going back. In 1999, he paired with some enthusiastic backers and brought the concept stateside, where it became something of an American Dream fitness story. Zumba's landed everything from book deals and videos to a partnership with Kellogg's (it's been featured on the back of their cereal boxes as part of a fitness campaign for the Hispanic market).

Photo: Courtesy of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

You may have heard of Zumba -- a.k.a. the Latin dance-exercise craze that's taking over a fitness center near you, or perhaps your very own DVD player. Now there's a new component (available in stores September 10, 2009) -- a book with workouts, diet plans, menus and recipes, along with an instructional DVD, plus a "5-Day Express Diet." Beto Perez, Zumba founder and celeb fitness guru, says that even his dance exercise routine needs the other key component to weight loss, watching what you eat, as "the symbiotic relationship between diet and exercise is the secret to weight loss success." Below, Perez and co-author Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, explain how fitness newbies and know-it-alls alike can benefit from Zumba and if losing nine pounds in five days, like the express diet claims, is really safe.

That's Fit: What separates Zumba classes and workouts from other routines?

Beto Perez: One word -- fun. Most people who begin taking Zumba used to hate exercising. Because they enjoy and look forward to their Zumba classes, it makes it much easier to stick with it. There is also a lot of variety involved in Zumba because of all the different dance styles used from merengue and salsa, to rumba and reggaeton.

Photo: Paramount Home Entertainment

It's no accident that many of the contestants on "So You Think You Can Dance" look fit and fabulous -- they work hard for those bodies. Now, six of the most popular contestants have put together two workout DVDs. And you have a chance to win one of each!

The two DVDs are "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove" and "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk." "Tone and Groove" stars Stephen "Twitch" Boss doing Hip Hop, Dmitry Chaplin in the Cha Cha and Katee Shean doing Jazz.



"Cardio Funk" lets you sweat with Courtney Galiano doing Disco, Travis Wall in Contemporary and Lauren Gottlieb dancing Hip Hop.



The DVDs also feature interviews with the cast and a breakdown of the steps. Any fan of the show (or fan of dance, for that matter) is sure to enjoy this workout, and now, five lucky That's Fit readers will have a chance to win both of these DVDs!

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling what kind of dance you love to either watch or do.
  
• The comment must be left before 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 6, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
• Five winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• Five winners will receive a copy of "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Tone and Groove" and "So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk" (valued at $33.98).
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you've won!

Who doesn't love Bollywood dancing? It's energetic, it's beautiful, and it's fun! And although I wasn't completely satisfied with the last Bollywood-inspired workout I did, I was excited to try Bollywood Booty, featuring fitness star and yogini Hemalayaa.

The video is beautifully shot, and Hemalayaa makes all of the moves look easy and natural. She has two other women dancing with her who also do a great job. And, some of the moves are guaranteed to get you giggling, which is part of the point -- throughout the 45-minute workout, you're constantly reminded to smile and enjoy yourself.

If you've watched much Bollywood dancing, you'll definitely appreciate learning some of the names of the hand and arm movements -- seeing those broken down definitely makes the whole style much more approachable. But is the video worth your hard-earned money?

One of my favorite shows, "So You Think You Can Dance," is in full swing, which gets me itching to dance. Dance off the Inches: Dance It off Ballroom is the perfect opportunity to do it -- it's a dance video that aims to work your muscles and help you work up a sweat!

Photo: amazon.com

The video has four sections. First, there's a Step Guide to get you familiar with the footwork. Then, you go through the cha cha, samba and jive. Ballroom dancer Kristina Milova takes you through a short routine in each style, and while she makes all the moves look intricate and professional, the truth is, they're easy to follow.

Over all, you're learning just 10 steps. Using these, you'll burn calories while improving your dance skills. But is it enough of a workout to be worth your time?

Kathy Smith Total Body Lift promises to "sculpt a leaner, younger looking you" with a warm up and four dance-inspired workouts targeting the arms, legs, buns and tummy. And if anyone can follow through on a promise like that, you know it's gotta be Kathy Smith. The woman has been arching those eyebrows and making us sweat since the 80s, and she looks just as phenomenal now as she did then (and the hair is much improved, but then again, I can't talk much).

So does it meet expectations? I tried it out and can say with certainty that Kathy Smith is one tough lady, and she definitely knows her stuff. Many of the moves don't look terribly challenging, but once you're midway through a set, you realize that those little tips she gives ("Scoop your abs! Tuck your tailbone!") are making you work muscles you didn't think you could work.

As with many videos, you have the option to do all of the workouts, or choose a section or two. And, you can opt to hear her instruction or just listen to the music (which was really good -- current, popular music but played without words, so it was energizing without being a distraction).

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I first heard about Xflowsion because of Sarah Chalke from "Scrubs" -- it's one of her favorite workouts. After that, I felt like I was seeing it everywhere, so when I had an opportunity to review it, I was really excited. After all, I really like martial arts and dance, and even though I'm terrible at it, I enjoy yoga (and yes, one can be bad at yoga -- trust me).

Xflowsion isn't just a single workout. It includes four workouts, actually, along with two audio discs and a "real meals" nutrition guide. Live in Hollywood is the big, main workout, clocking in at 83 minutes (although, the menu does let you customize the length of the workout, if you like). It features live music (if you have surround sound, the video has awesome audio capabilities) and about 60 participants. Body Blast is just 26 minutes and is a challenging full body workout with great music -- not live, but really upbeat. Amazing Abs focuses on, well, your abs, and is 23 minutes. Calm Down Dog is a "restorative and gentle yoga-centric workout" meant to reduce stress and relax your mind.

Normally, the whole system (a $315 value) costs $39.95, but right now, Xflowsion is offering an "economy and body recovery plan." So, for a limited time, they're selling The Xflowsion DVD series (which includes everything mentioned above plus a free copy of "The Lean" DVD) for $19.95 plus $7.95 S&H. That is a lot of at-home fitness for the price, folks.

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I'm always skeptical when a workout video claims to be "for everyone." I mean, how many workouts have ever left you thinking, "Boy, I bet my mom, best friend and little nephew would all enjoy this"? I'll be honest -- it really doesn't happen often for me. Not at all.

And that's why Jeanette Jenkins Cardio Dance was really a pleasant surprise. The video begins with Jeanette introducing herself, and then all of the other participants do a short intro as well -- boy howdy, is there a variety! Women of all shapes are included, from very full-figured to super fit and trim. There's a pregnant woman, a grandmother, and even a couple of kids involved, including a young boy who is the most entertaining person I've ever seen on a workout video. And everybody was able to keep up and have fun!

I like Jeanette's personal story, too. She grew up in public housing in Canada, and fitness was what kept her focused and out of trouble. She's gone on to found her own company, write a book, release numerous fitness DVDs and work with celebrities and pro athletes such as Queen Latifah, Kimora Lee Simmons, Christina Applegate, Taryn Manning, Ian Ziering, Jordana Brewster, Tom Arnold, NFL's Ty Law and Brian Cox.

It's not just for the Moulin Rouge anymore ... Can-Can, the high-kicking, 19th century dance style, is making its way into fitness centers.

There's nothing slow-paced about the Can-Can. Dancers are constantly in motion -- holding up their frilly skirts, kicking in time, twirling, even doing cartwheels. And while showing a little leg certainly isn't as scandalous as it was in the 19th century, there's just something silly, sexy and daring about dancing the Can-Can.

If you happen to live on the other side of the pond, you can find Can-Can classes at Polestars locations. In North America, you might have to wait a while for this fitness fad to catch hold. In the meantime, try out another fitness dance class or -- if it's the daring part of Can-Can you find appealing -- consider taking a pole dancing class for fitness.

What dance classes have you taken for fitness?
[via Lemondrop]

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Some exercises are deceptively difficult. When I first saw The Bar Method Accelerated Workout DVD, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I did ballet when I was younger, and while that was many, many moons ago, I figured the moves in the DVD would feel familiar.

Let me now admit that I was wrong. Completely, totally wrong. This DVD was hard, even if everyone on the DVD looked pretty while they were doing it. (For the record, I think I looked considerably less pretty. I know for a fact my face didn't look anywhere near as serene as theirs.)

First, let me give you a brief description of what The Bar Method is. There are Bar Method studios located throughout the US, all of which teach this specific method of working out. The Bar Method workout "creates a uniquely lean, firm, sculpted body by combining the muscle-shaping principles of isometrics, the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy and the intense pace of interval training."

Don't you think the world would be a better place if we danced more? Ellen Degeneres thinks so, and so does a prominent British minister, who thinks we should all shake our booties a little bit more than we're used to. And it's not because health secretary Alan Johnson likes seeing the flailing-armed moves of thousands of pasty Brits, it's because he thinks dancing is the answer to solving the obesity crisis we're in the midst of.

"The point about dance is you don't have to be a professional," he said recently. "You don't have to be brilliant on your feet but it gets you moving and that is what all of us need. We evolved as human beings to find food scarce and to expend a lot of energy. Now we live in a society where energy-rich food is abundant and labour-saving technology is ubiquitous."

I think he's right. We need to find some way to work off our calories, and dancing is sure more appealing than jogging.

If you're not into dancing yourself, tune in to Dancing with the Stars Season 8 and watch these 13 stars shake and shimmy their way to fitness.

(via Calorie Lab)

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Sabrina Bryan, the beautiful, blonde Cheetah Girl known for her dancing ability, just released her second workout DVD. Like the first, this DVD focuses on dance and promotes a healthy body image and an active lifestyle.

But Sabrina Bryan shook things up a little bit on BYou 2. Inspired by the Cheetah Girls most recent movie, this DVD blends hip-hop with Bollywood-style dance moves. Also, this DVD isn't just for the pre-teen set; Bryan is targeting women of all ages in this DVD. Bryan says, "We created something that brought together moms, daughters, (and) aunts."

Want more tips on how Bryan keeps healthy and fit? Check out her top five fit tips.

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Maybe you're lucky enough to live where it's warm in February. Where I live, however, it feels like we're in the middle of a never-ending winter. I spent one day this past weekend at a sledding hill and plan to go back soon to try out the ice skating rinks and cross-country skiing trails. It's a pleasant change from my usual living-room based winter workout.

Whether you want to stay toasty indoors or you're ready to brave the cold, AOL Health has a list of fun winter workouts, including:

• Mall walking. Believe it or not, this can be a decent workout. Try circling the mall several times before slowing to a window-shopping pace. And be sure to check with your local mall; some have walking clubs and open the doors early for walkers.
• Dance. Whether you're just moving to some tunes in your living room, following a dance exercise DVD or hitting the club with some friends, dancing can be a great workout.
• Ski or snowboard. Both downhill and cross-country skiing are excellent sources of activity. And they're exhilarating, too!
  
• Snowshoe. It may look easy, but walking with snowshoes is an intense activity. Use poles for balance and cross over an open field or walk along a snow-covered path.

For more ideas, check out the full article on AOL Health.

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