The benefits of Zumba include building endurance, burning calories, increasing flexibility, and gaining confidence on the dance floor. Photo / Eve Photography
The benefits of Zumba include building endurance, burning calories, increasing flexibility, and gaining confidence on the dance floor. Photo / Eve Photography
Marlene Bonner's black singlet says it all - less talk, more dance.
She's just celebrated six years teaching Zumba in Palmerston North.
Bonner trained as a Zumba instructor 10 years ago when living in Feilding and taught at one of the gyms there for about 15 months.
In January 2016 she took over classes at the Palmy YMCA when the instructor moved to Auckland. Just eight people attended her first night but now she regularly has 30-plus exercisers.
A ballet and tap dancer for 12 years, Bonner was encouraged to train by a Zumba instructor in Levin, where she is originally from.
"I don't love it because I teach it, I teach it because I love it."
She loves seeing people's faces light up when mastering a routine. But enjoyment is the number one goal, which can mean people don't even realise they are exercising. "It's just fun, I just like seeing people having fun."
People new to exercise often attend and if they come back a second time it's because they had fun. "There's no right or wrong moves and you can put your own spin on it."
Zumba is her hobby and as well as the basic training she has done extra training in a range of rhythms. She is also a gold instructor and able to take low-impact classes.
Palmerston North Zumba instructor Marlene Bonner is hoping for another 10 years of fun. Photo / Judith Lacy
Ask Bonner about the benefits of Zumba and she lists as many as there are tracks in her hour-long class. You can burn 800 to 1000 calories an hour, reduce stress, clear your mind, build endurance and coordination, increase circulation and flexibility, strengthen the heart and lungs, and gain confidence on the dance floor. You can explore your creative side, and express yourself through movement. There's also the social benefits.
Bonner says if you have had a tough day the moment the music comes on you can forget about the worries of the world and enjoy yourself.
For the past four years, she has done the Zumba warm-up for Relay for Life on Sunday mornings and also runs free pop-up classes in the park.
For the past five years she has taken part in cans for a cause running free classes in exchange for a food donation for charity.
Bonner says she's not in Zumba teaching for the money and her concession card is the same price as six years ago.
She is hoping for another 10 years as an instructor. "I love seeing people's faces light up. Their favourite song comes on and their face just lights up."
Lynette Burkin was at Bonner's first Palmerston North class. She keeps coming back as it is like her happy hour giving her endorphins. "Everybody's smiling, everybody's happy."
Burkin prefers dancing over going to the gym. "The hour goes that fast because you are having fun."
+ INFO Zumba Fitness with Marlene is on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6pm, at NZ Chinese Association, 98 Napier Rd. $5 casual.
