The Cypress Senior Center is a hub of activity on a continual basis offering Zumba classes in varying degrees of difficulty.
The Cypress Senior Center is a hub of activity on a continual basis offering Zumba classes in varying degrees of difficulty.
Recently, licensed Zumba instructor Lettie Morris along with helper instructors Loretta Woolley of Garden Grove, Joan Wehn of Cypress and Sandi Wilkinson of Cerritos, held a Zumba demonstration during the senior lunch hour.
Some seniors sat and tapped their toes, while others just smiled as they watched the instructors and still, a few adventurous souls ventured up front to try the Zumba steps.
Morris said that Zumba is designed for the active older adult, the true beginner or anyone who is not used to exercising.
“Zumba Gold is done at a lower intensity. While you’re moving, dancing and having a blast, you’re also enjoying a cardio workout while strengthening your muscles and bones,” said Morris.
“So what are you waiting for – ditch the workout and join the party,” she said. “Dance your way to better fitness to the Latin rhythms of Salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha, Mambo and Cumbia – no partner needed.”
Morris said her 8:15 a.m. Saturday-morning classes at the Cypress Senior Center average 50 men and women, of all ages.
She has been teaching Zumba for five years and said that Zumba started 12 years ago in Columbia, with it becoming popular in America in 2005 in Florida, the Miami area and then it made its way to Southern California, and is now worldwide.
“In Rome, Hawaii and China, Zumba is really big,” Morris said. “It’s a way to meet new people and get toned, lose weight – losing 500 to 1,000 calories per hour, depending on how active you are – with diet and exercise you can lose weight.”
There’s also Zumbatomic for children and there’s a program for seniors to sit in a chair, which is more of a fitness program rather than a dance program.
“People think they can’t do Zumba because they don’t dance, but all they have to do is follow the instructor – it’s easier than line dancing,” Morris said. “Whatever you do, you have to be consistent. We have a lot of fun – come join us and ‘release your happy cells’ – let your hair down and reduce your high blood pressure.”
Some history about Zumba includes its beginnings in the 1990’s, when Zumba founder Columbian Beto Perez forgot his tape of aerobic music for a class he was teaching and so he took the tapes he had in his backpack which consisted of traditional salsa and merengue music, and improvised a class using the non-traditional aerobic music.
Moving to the United States in 2001, he teamed up with co-founder Alberto Perlman and a childhood friend, Alberto Aghion and together they produced a demo reel with the concept discovered and licensed by a company called Fitness Quest.
For Cypress Senior Center information, please call 714-229-2005. For Zumba information, please call Lettie Morris at 562-547-6555.
