A new fitness craze has hit the Tacoma area YMCA’s. It’s called Zumba and it’ll be sure to get you moving and grooving.

The Tacoma YMCA is offering Zumba classes to members of all fitness levels. It combines Latin based music (like salsa and meringue) and international music and provides a way for the participants to have fun and get a great cardio workout.

"It’s a pretty popular class within our branch," says YMCA executive director Chris Spivey.

Denise Hood, a Zumba instructor, agrees. "It’s a blast. It’s really fun and our members are crazy for it."

Zumba, a Latin and international based fitness dance, was created in the mid-1990s by celebrity fitness trainer Beto Perez. Following much success in his native Columbia, he brought the new fitness class to the United States in 2002. Zumba’s popularity rose through the roof producing more than 2,000 Zumba instructors worldwide.

Because Zumba is for all fitness levels, Hood notes that it’s easy to pick up.

"Whether you’ve had any dance background or not, it’s a free style thing, so it’s open to interpretation," she says. "That’s the beauty of it. That’s why it’s been so well received."

Zumba minimizes the stress on the joints and muscles, but at the same time it’s high in energy and endurance, the YMCA’s Web site stated. Zumba routines feature aerobic training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body.

For more information on a schedule for Zumba classes, call Hood at 253.460.8877 or visit the Tacoma YMCA Web site. â€" Jennifer Holden