H Jien Ayun: Zumba Dance for Weight Loss and Fun

“When I came to Zumba, I was someone who… didn’t know how to dance, didn’t know anything about rhythm. My hands and feet were clumsy, and I didn’t know how to coordinate my dancing with others. It was literally zero for learning to dance,” H Jien Ayun recounted. Yet, she has been attached to Zumba ever since.

Learning for fun…

A few friends invited Jien Ayun to join them in a zumba class for fun. She recalled: “Within the first week or so, I was drawn into the vibrant music, watching Zes and Zin (the zumba instructors) dance with decisive, powerful yet seductive movements to Latin music with an engaging rhythm.”

According to H Jien Ayun, Zumba has exercises from basic to advanced suitable for many ages, helping to balance the body, firm many parts of the body from the hips, shoulders, arms due to many rotating, bending and jumping movements. Zumba increases the ability to endure movement, flexibility, endurance and toughness (dancing usually lasts from 45 minutes to 1 hour). Zumba exercises combine fast and slow rhythmic movements, improving cardiovascular and mental health.

Zumba classes are full of color from the costumes, shoes, socks, joy and smiles of each student, so they quickly attracted Jien Ayun. The dance teams do not discriminate by age, gender, or background, so any “newbie” can quickly integrate.

Among the many dance disciplines introduced to Vietnam, Zumba is quite new to most people who learn to dance, exercise , and dance, but it is "very connective" - Jien Ayun commented. She said that thanks to learning to dance, she has many more "friend circles". Each person has a unique personality but they all have one thing in common: solidarity in practice, performance, and competition.

Learning is fun but also challenging, because "practicing zumba requires patience". Jien Ayun revealed: "Compared to other students, I am slower. Some people can learn in a few days, some in a few weeks, some in a few months, but personally it took me more than a year. The reason is that before coming to zumba, I did not spend much time exercising, my body and movements were quite rough and stiff. When learning to dance, I often lost the rhythm. Sometimes the practice became too difficult, I did not have enough patience, got bored and gave up".

Until one day, Jien Ayun opened her closet to get clothes to wear to work as usual, “but alas, the shirt was tight and could not be buttoned even though it was a size M (I normally wear size S). At that time, I was determined to return to zumba classes regularly to help slim down and lose weight.”

“Zumba is not only a healthy sport that helps you lose weight, but it is also a solution to help you relieve stress, bring excitement and new feelings. You will always feel happy and relaxed when immersed in the excitement of Latin dance, forgetting the worries and fatigue of daily life” - H Jien Ayun said.

… to great benefits

Jien Ayun began to pay more attention to each Zumba move according to Zes and Zin's advice. She even recorded videos of her daily lessons so that when she got home, she could play the videos and practice each move to make it standard and smooth. When she felt the moves were not yet proficient and difficult, she asked the trainer for better guidance.

“I also came to class 15 to 30 minutes early, with the purpose of asking the coach to point out my shortcomings and mistakes in my practice. From there, I improved every day. After a year, I memorized the notation given by the coach and kept up with the music. Another year passed, and I improved even more by walking with a firm, clear rhythm, with flexible coordination between my hands and feet, and my still somewhat “stiff” facial expressions were focused more on smiling” - Jien Ayun recounted her experience of practical progress.

Zumba is increasingly popular among women because it "meets the need to lose weight while still ensuring the health of the practitioner".

The two most obvious benefits when women patiently get used to and are passionate about Zumba dancing are “changes in body shape and energy resonance in life”. Jien Ayun said she no longer feels sluggish, uncomfortable and heavy inside, she always feels fresh and smiles more than before. “Clothes size returns to size S, fat ratio decreases, body weight does not change much. The curves on the body are shaped, muscles are firmer”.

Not only that, this female artist businesswoman is also much more confident when from someone who did not like standing in front of a crowd, she has become more active in social relationships in a happier mood. Jien Ayun also said: "Thanks to zumba, I learned about activities that connect groups and communities such as Pink Hat Day organized by the Vietnam Breast Cancer Network. It can be said that zumba not only brings dynamism, health, and self-confidence to myself, but also connects with many communities, aiming for very meaningful things for society."

The “father” of Zumba is Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto “Beto” Pérez (born 1970) when he combined aerobic dance moves with vibrant Latin music to create Zumba. Since its popularity in the early 2000s, this simple yet captivating dance has attracted millions of people to participate in weekly Zumba classes in more than 125 countries.

Cam Thuy

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202505/h-jien-ayun-nhay-zumba-de-giam-can-va-vui-ve-00917bd/