If “just have fun” is the mantra of a workout, it’s certainly worth looking forward to. Woohoo, it’s Zumba Day! On September 29, 30 women signed up for an hour-long Zumba session at Club Prana, the spa and fitness hub at Hyatt Regency.

Conducted by Aanchal Jain, the group — some Club Prana regulars, some not — danced away like nobody’s watching, while a spread of healthy snacks — tomato and feta bruschetta, cucumber and celery juice and watermelon — awaited them at the end of the sweaty hour. How many calories could they dance away? Going by Aanchal’s calculations, 800 to 1,000, if they did it right.

At Club Prana, Zumba classes are held five times a week and “it’s more popular than the squash court”, said Shibashis Chakraborty, spa manager, Club Prana.

“We were on the lookout for an exciting workout programme for our members, which tones the body and also relaxes the mind. Zumba is perfect and the Calcutta market is very enthusiastic about it. We launched Zumba sessions in February and the demand for it is only increasing,”added Shibashis.

Aanchal used to be a dance choreographer before she met Zumba education specialist, Sucheta Pal. “The passion is infectious. A Zumba class always cheers me up and relaxes me. And you don’t need special skills or be particularly fit to sign up. You just have to keep moving to the music and enjoy yourself,” said Aanchal.

Text: Ramona Sen
Pictures: Arnab Mondal