Fitness is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and there are many ways to achieve it. Dance-based workouts have become popular fitness options, which are fun and engaging ways to get into shape. Zumba dance is one such workout that has gained popularity in recent years, offering a high-energy and rhythmic exercise experience. Let's dive into the history, benefits, and risks of the Zumba dance. What is Zumba Dance? Zumba dance involves interval workouts. The high/low-intensity dance moves can boost cardiovascular fitness while also improving balance, coordination, and agility of the body. Additionally, beginners can benefit from the choreography as it contributes to a moderate level of strength training. The Zumba class doesn't require any prior dancing experience. However, individuals with a natural sense of rhythm can learn dance moves and workouts more easily. Zumba classes primarily feature Latin-inspired music with a slow warm-up song that gradually increases in intensity throughout the class, followed by a cool-down song. The repetitive nature of the choreography makes it easy to pick up, even for those with limited dancing skills. Read More: 10 Energy Healing Methods: Which One is Right for You? Usually, a Zumba class doesn't have a competitive environment like regular dance training classes, so the participants can enjoy the workouts and relax. History of Zumba Dance Alberto “Beto” Perez, a fitness instructor and choreographer, created Zumba in the mid-1990s. The official Zumba website describes the genesis of this exercise phenomenon as a “happy accident.” One day Beto forgot his regular music while teaching an aerobics class. He had to improvise. So, Beto used Latin dance music (salsa and merengue) tapes that he had with him. It led to a class that mixed dance and aerobics in a fun and engaging way, without strict rep-counting. After that Beto started to integrate music and dancing into his other classes and called it "Rumbacize". Zumba gained popularity day by day. In 2001, Beto brought it to Miami, where he connected with two other individuals. The trio created a fitness video series. The term “Zumba” was coined for its similarity to the term "rumba", which refers to the Cuban musical genre. However, the dance form was called “Sumba” for some days. Read More: Is Gym Good for Women? Insight Venture Partners and the Raine Group invested in 2012 for expanding Zumba into class instruction. By 2015, there were about 14 million Zumba students in 186 countries. Benefits of Zumba Dance Diversity and Accessibility Zumba's versatility as a workout program, coupled with its extensive availability and wide range of class styles, makes it a suitable option for almost everyone, regardless of their fitness level and interests.  For instance, if someone loves swimming, he or she can go for Aqua Zumba classes which are offered by some swimming pools. Besides these, Zumba classes are also available in some public parks where visitors can participate. Read More: Healthy Weight Gain Strategies: Add pounds fast safely, naturally General Fitness As Zumba continues to remain popular, several studies have been conducted to examine its effectiveness. A 2016 literature review concluded that Zumba is an effective workout for improving cardiovascular fitness, with some limited evidence suggesting possible benefits for muscular fitness and flexibility. Sustainability Consistency is key when it comes to exercise, and a program that is enjoyable is more likely to be adhered to. Therefore, it's important to find a workout that is both effective and enjoyable. According to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, Zumba has good feasibility and adherence, making it a sustainable program for sedentary adults with metabolic syndrome. This suggests that Zumba can be an effective and enjoyable way to achieve long-term fitness goals. Read More: Postpartum Weight Loss: How to lose baby weight fast after pregnancy

Venturing into weight lifting can be a daunting task when first starting out. Machines, plates, bars and dumbbells all thrown together can be intimidating as navigating through all possible exercises with each item and picking the best ones for your workout plan is no easy feat. Out of all the tools available, dumbbells and barbells are two most prevalent pieces of equipment for muscle building and it can be tricky to decide which is better. Here, we answer the question “Are barbells better than dumbbells?” The Role They Play Before diving into the comparison, it is important to note that both barbells and dumbbells are primarily designed for strength building and overall muscle growth. The act of executing repetitions with weights is to put the targeted muscle group in a state of hypertrophy when under stress. That’s right; in order to allow muscles to grow, they must be deliberately damaged in order to recover with higher density and strength. Therefore, regardless of which one does it better, both of these styles of weightlifting were ultimately designed for the same goal. Barbells have a lot less flexibility in terms of exercise varieties as compared to dumbbells but excel in compound exercises that are made to tackle multiple major muscle groups. Dumbbells on the other hand, have more flexibility but have a far lower limit in terms of actual weight. Both tools will have various exercises that are unique to them that cannot be overlapped, but there are enough exercises that do overlap that have subjected the two types of weight into this debate, to begin with. Read Muscle Building Diet: Best Foods for Muscle Gains, Definition and Fat Reduction Compound Exercises For Both Barbells and Dumbbells Shoulder Press Otherwise known as military press, the two do not differ greatly when it comes to executing this exercise, but as the weights increase, balance starts resulting in safety concerns if unprepared. Unlike barbells, dumbbells force the user to ensure complete symmetry between both arms when raised overhead. Barbells do require the same, but it is easier to execute this as both arms will be parallel with each other and keeping the bar straight becomes the only concern from a technical perspective. Dumbbells' flexibility shines in this exercise as users can choose to place the weights right next to the ears if necessary to ensure that the side deltoids also get activated, while this would be impossible for dumbbells (as you’d hit your head on the bar). Read TRX vs. Other Gym Equipments: A Detailed Comparison Bench/Incline Press When it comes to the chest, both also don’t differ significantly, but the weight limits on your dumbbell racks will slowly become a concern the longer you’ve been training. The exercise commonly demands an incredible amount of weight compared to shoulder press and incline rows, which does naturally increase the risks of muscle tears and even dislocations if the weights are not placed down properly after a set. The bench press is equally viable on both dumbbells and barbells, but barbells tend to be favoured among competitive lifters due to the amount of weight that can be added on, while dumbbells are preset and commonly only go up to 50kg at your local gym. As a beginner and even intermediate weight lifter, both options are viable, but barbells will start to have a higher priority when your strength is too much for dumbbells. Rows Using an inclined bench, many have resorted to the dumbbell option of rows by tucking their knees into the far corner of the seat and resting the chest on the backrest. Although it may look a little odd to beginners and non-weightlifters - many have adopted this as an alternative to barbell rows. The back is a massive muscle group and dumbbells are not commonly used for compound back exercises as compared to barbells. Isolated, single-arm rows while leaning forward yes, but not compound. One of the reasons for this is because of the weight limit like with the bench press; arguably, doing rows with dumbbells can open avenues for more injury if not done correctly on the bench. Barbells have safety racks below and allow for a wider range of motion due to not having any obstruction like the seat would have. Overall, barbells win in this exercise for safety, higher weight, and cleaner form. Read What is Protein Powder? Benefits of Taking Protein Supplements