The pioneer of Aqua Zumba, Maria Browning, was in town to show off her mean moves at the curtain-raiser for The Fit Expo 2017 on July 16, before jetting off to a Zumba convention in Florida.
t2 caught up with Maria in between a dance routine by the poolside at Aqua, The Park .
What drew you to Zumba even before it became as popular as it is now?
I used to be a synchronised swimmer on the Colombian national team and then I moved to Kentucky when I was 23. When Zumba started, I heard about it from my sister who was in Miami. I was curious, so I started looking for classes. I became the first to get training and started teaching classes. People went cra-a-a-zy because there were so many Latin people in Kentucky. I thought I would teach about two classes a week but after three months I was teaching 50 classes a week! I was 29 then.
Maria: Drink plenty of water and avoid processed food. I don’t have alcohol, caffeine, or sugar. I have my sugar in the form of fruits.
Sucheta: Avoid carbs as much as possible and have dinner before 8pm. I know it’s hard at home because parents think it’s unhealthy to not have carbs, I’ve given up trying to explain to mine! Have good fats like coconut oil. They use it in Thai food. Something that’s really worked for me is having warm water through the day
Is Zumba the only dance form you’re into?
I also teach different workshops of dance techniques and rhythms. Kizomba is a rhythm from Angola, Africa. It’s been around for 40 years but it’s just getting popular. The dance world is a small, connected world. In Salsa, Bachata and other Latin dances, we move our hips from side to side. In Kizomba you don’t go side to side at all, you go down and up and down and up. So you really have to engage your core. I tell people if they do Kizomba regularly they can have a six pack. That’s how I keep my abs looking very good. Nowadays everyone is into Latin culture and wants to know how to dance to Latin music the Latin way.
So you don’t have to hit the gym?
No, we do. Even though it’s hard to find time for the gym in between 10-hour trainings — yes that’s how well we teach our trainers! What happens is, your muscles get used to your own moves, so after six months it stops reaping benefits. Going to the gym helps to challenge the muscles and keep us in shape.
So, Zumba or Kizomba?
Zumba is a fitness programme… the strongest fitness programme in the world. Kizomba is one of the million rhythms we have in the world. It’s a dance technique. Right now I’ve fallen in love with how it helps me keep in shape.
What makes Zumba so popular?
We have the largest number of instructors across the world and that is because the format is super simple and the connecting force is music and dance, which is a universal language. Every instructor becomes a leader one day, whether it is in a small town or a big city. Zumba classes are not like other fitness class. You finish, say, a kick-boxing class and you say thank you, bye and leave. But when you finish a Zumba class, you hang out with everybody, maybe catch dinner or make plans for the weekend. It’s a tight community. We’re an army of a million crazy Zumba people. We have so many charities and we can help people in different situations. No one will buy a ticket to a spinning party but you don’t mind buying a ticket to a Zumba party, right? You know you’re going to have so much fun…
How did you discover Aqua Zumba?
I had been a Zumba Education Specialist for two years when I was asked to create a Zumba programme in the aqua fitness world. I was invited to be a part of the development team because I had a background in synchronised swimming. I took Beto (Perez, the founder of Zumba) and the team and made them go through the water principles. Then we learnt the dance steps and modified them to the water principles. Synchronised swimming is harder to do in the moment but the training effects are the same.
What are the benefits of Aqua Zumba?
It is impossible for you to move in the water without engaging your muscles because you have to push against the water. Aqua Zumba tones your muscles because for every single move you have to work very hard but there is less impact in the water.
Do Zumba veterans have to watch what they eat or does it all get worked off?
I do eat very mindfully. The first few years I didn’t watch what I ate and my immune system got weaker. I’m very aware of what goes into my body now. I try to avoid processed food as much as I can and I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. People are becoming more aware of the importance of eating well and detoxifying.
MARIA BROWNING’S AQUA ZUMBA TIPS
T: Tempo. Find the right tempo in the water
I: Initiative. Move with the knees up. We work with buoyancy, so you gotta push down ’cause the water makes you float.
P: Pendulum. Every time you move side to side or forward and back, keep a straight line from head to toe so you use your whole body.
S: Soft knees and soft feet. It might look like you’re stomping on land but in the water you land softly and our instructors on land have to simulate what the people are doing in the water.
Ramona Sen
Pictures: Pabitra Das and B. Halder
