Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Lifevif Team and JC Franco
You probably hear it all the time…Zumba this and Zumba that, but what if Zumba just is not for you? What if you like to walk to the beat of your own drum and not that of the Zumba crowd? What if you love to shake your tail feathers, but just not in a Zumba way? What if you like the idea of Zumba, but in reality, a more docile and gentle workout is for you?
It might feel like a “dun, dun, duuuuun, Oh no!” kind of moment when you realize that the workout system currently rocking the world is not rocking yours. But do not fear – there is good news for you! There are many alternatives to Zumba that might just work for you, and I am about to tell you all about them.
10 alternatives to Zumba:
- Bokwa
- Yoga
- Pole Dancing
- Barre
- Kickboxing
- Jazzercise
- Piloxing
- Yoga Dance
- Bollysoul
- Tap Dancing
Many of these sound a little strange, don’t they? I must admit, some of them take a little getting used to. One thing that each and every one of these Zumba alternatives has in common is that they are fun. They are also all great for weight loss and have been around for more than just a “few minutes”, if you know what I mean.
I believe it’s important to throw oneself into fitness, but do it in a sustainable way. Do not follow a fad blindly. Make sure that the fitness workout is effective and that it fits in with your health and fitness objectives. Want to learn about each of the 10 alternatives to Zumba? Great! Read on.
What to do Instead of Zumba
When I first started looking into Zumba alternatives, I was astounded to see just how many different types of fitness workouts are out there at the moment. If you do a quick Google search for fitness classes in your area, you might even find a few obscure-sounding classes listed. Don’t discredit anything initially. Rather, look at these fitness regimes up. Doing a bit of homework can be the difference between off-handedly overlooking a fitness workout that may actually be precisely what you need and what you are looking for.
While hunting around to learn more about the various alternatives to Zumba, I found that many people that like Zumba, actually like the following types of fitness classes too. Check them out! You never know, one of these might be just the right workout for you.
1. Bokwa
If you like the high-energy of Zumba but want something a little less chaotic, Bokwa could be for you. I know that Bokwa is certainly for me! Much like Zumba, Bokwa is also a dance fitness style, but the movements and dance style are quite different from Zumba.
Instead of freestyle dancing, Bokwa students carry out a series of pseudo fight moves to a heavy hip hop beat. The choreography has participants moving their feet in the shape of the letters of the alphabet on the floor. No, it is not a spelling lesson that you are taking – it’s actually a fantastic form of dance that works each and every major muscle group. It’s extremely easy to learn the alphabet choreography!
People love Bokwa because it is unpretentious, easy to pick up on, and quite honestly the most fun you will have all week (or all year!). The amount of calories you can burn on 1-hour of Bokwa will depend on your weight and how much effort you are willing to put in.
2. Yoga
If you are looking for something completely different from Zumba, Yoga might be it. Yoga needs no real introduction, but here goes! Yoga is an ancient meditative Eastern practice. It’s thought to date back over 5,000 years, where it is found mentioned in the Rig Veda sacred texts.
Yoga practice is used for mental health, physical health, and emotional health. While there are various styles of Yoga, they all combine a series of physical poses, breathing techniques, relaxation, and meditation. The poses are not as simple as they look and practitioners require growing strength to support the body in many of the new poses they learn. Yoga is good for strengthening and toning the muscles, which can lead to an attractive physique.
In terms of mental health and emotional health benefits, Yoga promotes a healthy lifestyle. It also obliterates stress, quells anxiety, and incorporates a sense of calm and balance in one’s life.
3. Pole dancing
If you are looking for something that gets you a bit of attention, pole dancing is it. Pole dancing is extremely physically challenging, and of course, sassy too! It involves learning a series of movements and poses on a vertical pole.
Pole dancing is no longer an activity reserved for a gentlemen’s club. Now it is a hot fitness trend, and its popularity has been booming for many years now. It provides an intense full-body workout. While learning pole dancing, you will develop extremely powerful ab and upper body strength while toning, shaping, and building muscle throughout the body. This type of exercise offers steady, sustainable weight loss.
4. Barre
If you think that Barre classes are just for dancers, think again. Barre classes are aimed at building a lot of strength in the legs, but it is about more than that. Many fitness instructors recommend Barre classes for people who are just getting into health and fitness. It is considered a low impact yet highly effective exercise form. Barre classes will help in terms of strength building, flexibility, balance, weight loss, and developing core strength.
5. Kickboxing
Want to kick some ass without actually having to kick ass? Kickboxing is the perfect workout for you. Kickboxing is not for the faint-hearted. It is high energy and most often high impact too. Doing kickboxing is great for shedding weight and boosting your heart to improved health and stamina.
6. Jazzercise
Jazzercise is a lot older than we think it is. It is packed with fun and high energy, which makes it a great alternative to Zumba. Jazzercise was founded in the late ’60s by Judi Sheppard in California. When you take up a jazzercise class, you can expect a combination of dance moves with resistance training. It is undoubtedly a full-body workout and you can expect to burn a good amount of calories in a 1-hour class.
7. Piloxing
If you are looking for something that is high energy, but not quite as high energy as Zumba, Piloxing might be the answer. As the name suggests, Piloxing includes Pilates principles. It also focuses on dancing as well as boxing. Piloxing is a very modern form of exercise that provides a full-body workout. It also improves stamina, core strength, and balance.
8. Yoga Dance
Yoga dance is all about being able to express yourself through movement and music. This modern take on Yoga has been a big hit at festivals as well as in the classrooms. In fact, DJs even produce music specifically for Yoga Dance. This type of Yoga combines music with fluid movements. The music can be a single beat or consist of an entire band of instruments. The class can be as complex or simple as required.
Those who have tried Yoga Dance say that it is a fun and accepting environment that is great for a physical workout as well as for mental clarity and de-stressing.
9. Bollysoul
If you have ever watched a Bollywood movie, you will know just how energetic Bollywood dancing is. Bollysoul dance classes have become extremely popular in the fitness world. The classes are fun and energetic, and students are taught all the Bollywood dance moves that they love.
10. Tap Dancing
Tap dancing classes usually feature a combination of high energy cardio, tap dancing principles, resistance training, and body sculpting exercising. This type of class will definitely exhaust you. It will also help you to build abs of steel, melt away excess fat, and get a nice fresh flood of dopamine.
Most Tap Dancing classes are around 45 minutes long and involve a variety of dance types and styles. The beauty of a tap dancing class is that it will tone and shape your buttocks and thighs and ensure belly fat sheds from your stomach.
Try one, Try Them All!
If you are not immediately sure which of these Zumba alternatives is best suited to you, I strongly recommend that you try each of them out. Even if you do not participate in each class; it might help for you to watch the class to see if it is something you would enjoy, and to get a better idea of what happens in each class. If Zumba is not for you, pick from the above 10 alternatives and just have fun!
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who share their experiences and knowledge about the "Seven F's of Life".
JC Franco
JC Franco is a New York-based editor for Lifevif. He mainly focuses on content about faith, spirituality, personal growth, finance, and sports. He graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Marketing. He is a certified tennis instructor who teaches in the New York City Metropolitan area. In terms of finance, he has passed the Level I exam of the CFA program.
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