With its millions of people sweating it out on upbeat latino tunes, Zumba fitness has definitely left its mark on the fitness scene. For better or worse.

If you've ever walked in a traditional gym, you've probably noticed that some space - sometimes even full floors - is dedicated to group training with programs ranging from spinning classes to Tae Bo-inspired workouts. Fitness enthusiasts and weekend warriors alike are hungry for variety and always on the lookout for new, hopefully revolutionary ways to lose unwanted pounds with a minimum of effort.

The Zumba fitness craze is a testament to this : easy to pick and hard to put down, zumba classes mix dance with fitness moves seamlessly in an attempt to make the classes less hard for beginners, more fun and seemingly less taxing on the body. Although I'd love to sing its praises, there are a few things about that conga-driven fad that bother me.

Hard on the joints

Whether it's merengue, reggaeton or salsaton, Zumba will have you jump around like it's 1992 all over again. Needless to say, this constant stress on the knees and ankles is not exactly good for your joints. Besides, Zumba sessions typically last about 60 minutes and involve deep lunges, ankle twists and other rhythm-laced moves that will give your physiotherapist night sweats.

The issue is not intensity here, but duration: working out for 60 minutes using a variety of exercices and balancing upper and lower body is perfectly fine even for people with weak joints. Problems arise when you spend a whole hour doing the same moves, however often the music style you're doing those moves on changes.

I don't deny it, a Zumba training session will get your heart pumping and your feet stomping. But is it enough to warrant and effective and efficient work out ?

This training method focuses heavily on cardio-vascular stress to promote fat loss. What its conceptors forgot though, is the importance of resistance. After a month or two of zumba training you will have become a club (or ballroom) legend with your limitless moves and swag, but you'll also have stagnated a big deal in the muscle toning department.

Aside from involving pretty much only your legs and heart during the work out, Zumba will leave the rest of your body intact of any stress. You won't feel any soreness in the upper body afterwards and I can guarantee that common problems areas like tricpes in women or abdomen in men are largely left unaddressed.

Bootcamps have you covered

Although it's very tempting to try something new like Zumba, I would advise you to rather stick to tried and true methods. Our Bootcamps combine the full spectrum of fitness exercises and you will get a much bigger bang for your buck. Functional training, plyometrics, pure cardio, body weight resistance...It's all there in our bootcamps! I know I might come across as reactionary and rigid, for once I don't really mind: Zumba fitness is not what you need if you're looking for solid, long-term results.

Pay us a visit and we'll happily discuss with you what type of training suits you best.

Contact the Aspire Club or any of the personal trainers and fitness coaches at Fitcorp Asia in Bangkok on 02 229 4114 or email us