How to lose weight fast: The fun workout that burns 600 calories an hour

WEIGHT LOSS doesn't have to be a drag. You can have fun while shedding a few pounds. There's one exciting workout that burns 600 calories an hour and will have you smiling ear to ear.

Lorraine: Emily Atack TWERKS during Zumba class

You’ve definitely heard of Zumba by now, it’s a dance fitness workout and probably the most joyful way to lose weight. You’re supposed to do three classes a week, but what results will that get you? Well, you’ll burn around 600 calories a session and gain a number of other health benefits. It's much easier to keep up a habit if you're having fun while doing it. There is definitely a Zumba class near you or you can do classes online, so this option works for everyone. Express.co.uk chatted to Zumba Educational Specialist, Sanda Harnes, to find out.

If you’re sick of lifting weights and running on a treadmill, you might benefit from Zumba.

With over 15,000 classes available in the UK every month, you'll find Zumba classes in pretty much every major town and even smaller villages will probably have a Zumba instructor.

Who doesn’t love to boogie? When you turn dancing into a sweaty workout with Latin-inspired music, you’re bound to lose weight without even realising it.

Zumba’s Educational Specialist Sandra said: “Zumba wasn't designed as a weight loss programme ...but so many people have had weight loss outcomes from practising

“Weight loss has become one of the things Zumba (when used alongside an improved diet) is known for.”

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How to lose weight fast:

How to lose weight fast: Weight loss can be fun (Image: Zumba)

How to lose weight fast:

How to lose weight fast: Zumba will put a smile on your face and make you sweat (Image: Getty)

The reason why Zumba is so great for weight loss is all to do with your metabolism.

Sandra said: "Like any form of cardio fitness, Zumba is designed to raise the heart rate which can boost metabolism.

“Depending on your personal stats like body composition and general overall starting point, people can burn up to 600 calories in a one hour Zumba class.”

Three classes a week is the optimum apparently, so you’d be burning an average of 1,800 calories a week.

In general, if you burn 3,500 more calories than you eat, you will drop a pound a week. So, Zumba alone gets you a huge head start on this.

How to lose weight fast:

How to lose weight fast: The health benefits are endless (Image: Getty)

Zumba isn’t just an aesthetic workout, it has many varied health benefits, such as:

  • Improved their cardio fitness
  • Improved heart health
  • Keeping blood pressure within the healthy range
  • Works all the key muscle groups (helps to tone muscles)
  • Release of endorphins (happy hormones)
  • Stress relief
  • Positive mental health (not just in class)

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Zumba is super upbeat and focussing on the style of dance and getting the steps right can help you to stop thinking about the fact you're exercising. 

Don't let the fast-paced nature of Zumba intimidate you though, anyone can join in and regular dancing can improve the health of people of all ages.

The NHS website points out: "Regular dancing is great for losing weight, maintaining strong bones, improving posture and muscle strength, increasing balance and coordination, and beating stress."

How to lose weight fast:

How to lose weight fast: You could even just do the workouts online (Image: Getty)

As mentioned, there are Zumba classes all over the nation and the community is what makes the workout so pleasurable.

Sandra said: “Zumba is best enjoyed as a live experience and the community is what keeps many people returning again and again.

“So we're delighted to see a return to in-person Zumba classes in gyms, fitness centres, dance studios and community spaces.”

However, if you don’t have a Zumba class near you or you’d prefer to work out from home for the time being, you can do so easily online.

The Zumba Educational Specialist explained: “For those that prefer an in-home experience there are thousands of great classes available online too - both live (i.e. in real time with a group of fellow participants ) or On-Demand (i.e. recorded and streamed) on Zumba.com.”

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