ZUMBA in Santa Cruz...on the Westside~YES you WILL have fun in a Zumba Fitness® Class!

Zumba Fitness is the most fun and energetic calorie-burning-body jumpin' Latin-Dance Based Fitness Workout where Fitness Fun™ comes to life!

See Class Schedule HERE

Zumba is one of those workouts that feels more like a party. If burning calories and having so much fun you don't even think you're working out, sounds good to you, then Zumba is for you. It's all about fitness with fun. Just simple dance moves put into a fitness routine to Latin beats. Zumba Fitness is hot-hot-hot!

"Dear Clara,

I wanted you to know how much I enjoy your Zumba class and how much it has helped me with my aerobic conditioning.

This is the second summer I have studied with you. In the beginning, I thought I would not make it through the class because I felt "winded." Now that is no longer true plus I notice that my stamina has greatly improved when I engage in other activities.

Just as important as this being a "healthy" activity, is that it is so enjoyable. If I did not feel happy in class, I would not be able to continue. You bring a wonderful spirit and love to Zumba which is infectious. Your energy motivates me . I thank you for that.

My best,
Rena Cochlin
Head of Dance, Pilates, and Yoga Programs at OPERS, UCSC

"I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I am enjoying Zumba with Clara & Brenda. I have recently been taking free classes..., and it has made me aware of a few things I'd like to share:

1) I appreciate the warm and friendly way I have been greeted, right from the start. I am impressed with how personable everyone has been at MINORSAN.

2) I appreciate how clean and tidy you keep the studio. It is bright and cheery, well lit, and I notice everything done beautifully, from how well the garden is maintained to the lack of clutter in the office. The changing room & bathrooms are always clean & tidy. It is truly a pleasure to attend your studio.

3) I appreciate that you start and stop on time! Without knowing anything about martial arts myself, I appreciate a sense of discipline & orderliness of MINORSAN that comes through in your Zumba classes.

4) I appreciate how much you kickass! This class is by far the sexiest, most fun, and most heart-pumping workout in all the sessions I've attended in Santa Cruz! In just a month, I notice my body & endurance changing, and I continue to laugh when I catch myself smiling in the mirror. I love this class, and all it inspires in me.

There are other things, ranging from the excellence in music to the time you take to teach the steps to the fact that using a head set makes a huge difference to the student. The only thing I would want different is for Zumba to be offered every day. Thank you so much for offering this class."

Blessed Be, Kayla Rose
www.kaylagarnetrose.com

"Zumba at Minorsan is amazing! Clara and Brenda are motivating, challenging and fun. They always have new choreography and new music to keep the workout exciting! Zumba is a place where I can feel clumsy and sexy, exhausted and energized, silly and strong; all in the same hour. Plus, its great to look in the mirror and see my waistline shrinking while I'm having fun. Viva La Zumba!"

Emily T, Santa Cruz~

From the Desk of:
Clara E Minor & Dio P Santiago

Hello to All Would-Be Zumbaristas~

Are you looking for something to get you motivated to get your body moving again? Have you been out of the loop for far too long? Does your body tell you, daily, that you need to do something for it?

If working out sounds like drudgery to you, or a chore you just don't want to do, but you know you must, then you need something that will be absolutely fun, fun, fun.

Have you heard the news you don't want to hear from your doctor? And she or he has told you that you need to lose excess body fat for your health? Or maybe you have high cholesterol and you need to get it down…or your heart could use some pumping up? What else needs to happen before you will take action?

If excess body fat has been keeping you down, or your heart's condition won't let you even jog one block, you need to do something now. Your life isn't waiting for you. It just continues on, every single day. You are either getting healthier, or you are not.

If losing a few pounds would make you feel better, how would you feel if you also toned your muscles and through your fat loss, you could actually see the shape of your muscles? And what if, at the same time, you actually had to buy new clothes?

You can begin this party workout today, and begin making the changes you know you have to make, plus make changes you will absolutely love…

…if this strikes a chord in you, then make no excuses...do it now.

Tone, Trim & Tighten Your Body

…a side benefit of having so much fun…

Don't we all want to feel good? When your exercise becomes your fun, then it develops into a part of your life that is filled with joy. Who wouldn't want that every day? And by continuing your party workouts, you will begin to get your muscles toned, trim your body, and start to feel so much better about yourself and how you look. And when you feel better about how you look, you also feel better about yourself totally. And when you feel better about yourself, you begin to look better! Do you get our point?

Feel good, look good, look good, feel good...hmmmm

And get rid of that tired feeling!

Again, another way of feeling good every day because your body feels good. When toxins are released from your body through these workouts, you automatically get a cleaner, clearer body. You get more energized for the rest of your day.

Party workouts such as Zumba increase endorphins during the workout, as well as continuing long after you're done, so that your thoughts are much more positive all day long. The level of happiness and contentment in your life rises dramatically when you have energy.

So you like your body fat?

Some people actually do, and this is great! We always advocate for what makes you feel good (as long as you are not harming those you love). However, we do believe that too much body fat is unhealthy. If you look up current statistics on our overweight population and the number of diseases and illnesses that being overweight can develop, it might shock you. Loving body fat is one thing. Being unhealthy because of it is quite another.

Some body fat is healthy, but in excess it can lead to disease in the body. You can lose this excess, and at the same time be having such a great time that you don't even notice, until you try on something you haven't worn in a long time...how about them baggy pants now!

Getting Fit & Healthy will give you Confidence!

Who doesn't want to feel emotionally and mentally strong and powerful? This is confidence. You do what you really want to do with the belief in yourself and your abilities. You have no doubt that you can accomplish whatever you are seeking. You now have the ability to speak up! Yes, just by feeling better about yourself!

What about a Stress-Buster...

Does your job get you down? Or maybe you love your job, however, it is still high-stress? Stress is responsible for a laundry-list of ailments to the human body and mind. There are several ways to relieve this stress.

What if you were actually able to physically release that stress, while at the same time, exhilirating in the fun factor? Yes, immediate results happen in the party atmosphere of Zumba.

If you just want to immerse yourself in joyfulness, and feel good for the rest of the day, Zumba will do it for you!

Top-Notch Instructors get your body warmed up, move into the "party" mode, and finish with a cool-down stretch

Why are these top-notch instructors important to you?

Our instructors are bona fide and certified Zumba Instructors. They are Professional Fitness Instructors. They have years of experience in fitness and dance and know how to run a professional-level class for beginners, and those brand new to Zumba, as well as take care of the advanced people in the same class. So, all levels benefit. You get the workout you want to put in. You can party-hardy, or easy-weezy. The choice is entirely yours. Our instructors will guide you through the more "multiple-movement" steps in order for you to "see" what we are doing, so you will "know" what you are doing.

Running professional fitness classes is an art. Our instructors use their expertise in order for you to have the best experience in every class.

Once again, as in any fitness program, one of the hallmarks is repetition. The same or similar moves are repeated enough times for you to enjoy it, but not so much that it gets boring. The movements change with the music!

A Good Warm-Up is Essential

First of all, the warmup is approximately 5 to 7 minutes for Zumba classes. The muscles and body need preparation for the movements that will come in the next 50 minutes. You need to raise your body’s temperature slowly and gradually, utilizing movements that will engage the same muscles you will be using for your Zumba steps. You need to steadily raise your heart rate, and your body needs to acclimate to the space around you.

Tendons and ligaments need warming up too so that they are more supple and will react more smoothly when taking on the load the muscles are creating. The warmer your muscles are, the better they can move and lengthen. The better they can move and lengthen, the less likely there will be any "pulls."

Easy Latin-Dance Based Movements

Zumba takes its movements from traditional Latin and World-Dance movements. You might see a little Merengue, Salsa, Belly Dance, Flamenco, Quebradita, Cha-Cha, Samba, Reggaeton, Cumbia, African, and even American Hip-Hop! We extract moves and repeat them several times for a fitness experience that will get you burning energy!

A Cool-Down phase will gradually bring your body temperature down

After working out, your body is hot, and your muscles are tight from the contractions in getting your body to move. It is critical to stretch your muscles to release built-up toxins, and lengthen your muscles for more flexibility. The best time to stretch is always after your have worked out and the muscles are still warm.

How else can our instructor team be of benefit to you?

We like to say "100% Care for EveryBody, EveryTime." This means that we consider your level of fitness, your level of expertise and skills, and your goals in order to assist you the best we can so that you feel comfortable in class. We provide extra help if you'd like it. We talk to you. Your presence is appreciated and respected. Any level of fitness from 0 to 10, any body type or shape, and any age, is accepted. We want you to have fun. And we understand that sometimes feeling comfortable is the first thing you truly need to feel in order to have fun.

How you can benefit from this "party" called Zumba

Build endurance & stamina in your muscles and cardio-respiratory system

Why would endurance and stamina help you? You gain the ability to be more active. With more activity in your daily life, you can lose excess body fat, increase the health of your heart, have more fun, do more things, and feel so good! Your health is not something to take lightly.

Endurance is the ability of the muscles to continue weight-bearing movement for extended periods of time (Zumba moves). Stamina is the ability of the heart to keep up with your workout intensity (lo or hi impact in Zumba).

Why would you want this?

Endurance and stamina in your rmuscles will give you toned and sculpted muscles. They will also make your muscles a bit stronger. You will be able to do so much more physical activity all day long. If you like to have fun just doing physical stuff, like shopping (requires lots of walking, carrying of loads, moving your body in differing positions to try on clothes, reaching up for stuff on shelves, etc), or going for a simple, beautiful walk down West Cliff, and not getting winded every time you do something, then Zumba Fitness is for you.

if you have to climb stairs daily, if you like to play with your kids, if you love doing things outdoors including gardening, if you have to walk a distance to your work or your car, you’d love to go out dancing, or if you just like to shop for extended periods of time, then having good endurance in your muscles and strong stamina will make all these activities so much easier and fun to do.

By working in an aerobic capacity, you will be strengthening your heart. You will make your blood flow to your brain, and your body will be removing toxins through sweat, and other functions of detoxification. Staying properly hydrated by drinking plenty of water will also help to detoxify your body for increased health.

Having strong stamina and endurance will get you through each day with much more energy, and you’ll gradually be able to intensify your workouts for faster results.

Elevate heart rate/lung capacity

Elevating heart rate during aerobic activity will increase the strength of your heart. After all, it is a muscle! It needs working out too. This means you will have more energy throughout your day, whether your workouts are in the morning or evening. As you are able to breath in more air (lung capacity increases), you will be able to add more intensity to your workouts. More intensity means more calorie burn. If weight loss is one of your goals, you want to be able to increase your intensity as you continue with your workouts. Over time, you will be burning many more calories.

A strong healthy heart makes you feel energized! Don’t we all want to have the energy we had as young kids? Children move their bodies all the time. You too can regain some of that energy. Moving your body more intensely, and regularly, will begin the process of energizing.

Burn up to 500-700 calories in one workout!

The number of calories you burn in one workout, depends on how much fun you are having. If you start getting into the more hi impact moves, then you will burn more energy (calories). Of course, the more you weigh, the more you burn. A person weighing 185 lbs will burn more calories than a person weighing 115. But the person weighing 185 will also require more caloric intake throughout the day to maintain energy reserves.

If your concern is losing body fat, then the simple equation you must remember is: calories in = calories out. If you take in more than you burn throughout the entire day, you will gain excess body fat. If you take in less than you burn, you will lose body fat. There are other factors that affect fat loss, but this is the basic equation.

Even if you haven’t exercised in a long time…or you haven't danced in a long time...remember, it is not a dance performance! Zumba is a fun-filled party-like fitness class!

YES…you can do this!

Today is always a good day to start! Whatever your fitness level (we all have one, even if you’re just exercising your hands with the remote…), you will begin to strengthen from where you are currently. We give options so that you can customize the workout to suit your needs and goals. Remember what we said about our Instructors (above). This workout is for you.

Why should you "Zumba" here?

Because our great instructors we talk about above must pass our rigorous standards—and we have set the bar high. This ensures you will get a great experience every time you come to class.

This is also a professional facility. Not to mention that it is beautiful, full of light, air-conditioned, and a wonderful space in which to move your body for Zumba. See ABOUT US for a visual of the Sun Room. The great floor is easy on your knees and back. We've been told by other instructors that we have an awesome, clear-sounding sound system. (When a visiting professional DJ tells us it is the best, we believe it.)

You will also receive 100% unconditional acceptance here. You can Zumba your heart out knowing that nobody will be judging you.

Why a Fitness Lifestyle is Important To Us

It allows us freedom to feel energized, healthy, strong, safe and keep a positive attitude about life. This means that challenges that come our way are much easier to deal with. We tend to look for good ways of taking care of these challenges that, actually, everybody faces.

And we enjoy working with people so much that offering daily classes keeps us communicating with women, men and children every day.

…and why it should be important to YOU…

A fitness lifestyle allows you to have fun, feel energized, have excitement in your life, release stress, laugh often and experience personal victories. You will also make new friends.

A fitness lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle and includes proper eating habits as well as quality food, daily exercise, adequate rest, fun and humor, quality relationships, and doing what you love, especially if it makes you a living!

The daily exercise part will be adequately covered with the Zumba workouts in your weekly schedule. You will be increasing the health of your physical body, as well as the health of your mind, as working out removes toxins through the process of sweating.

Remember, blood feeds your brain too! As you clear up toxins, your mind clears up too, thereby making your thoughts and mental capacities stronger. You will make better choices. You will be happier. You will make other positive changes in your life when you can think clearly.

Zumba is the World's most fun Latin-Dance based fitness workout, that it's not even a workout—it's a PARTY!

Join hundreds of others who are saying it’s “X-actly what I needed.”

Click here to sign up for your FREE WEEK

When you choose to enroll in our ongoing Zumba program, you will get~

• a 30-minute one-on-one session (you can combine this session with a friend for a duo session to learn the moves that might be harder for you.

• unlimited workouts each week from a diverse schedule of classes
  
  
• and for a limited time, a FREE Zumba strap-top or tank-top. (You must mention you read it on the website...:)

What more could you be waiting for...

If you still have unanswered questions, contact us here.

You may also call us at 831.458.0900.

Sincerely,

Clara E. Minor & Dio P. Santiago
Master Trainers

P.S. Remember that we respect you and where you are at with your fitness at this time. We will help you learn the moves. You will feel comfortable here. How much is it worth to you to stay in your same old routine of doing nothing for yourself. Isn’t it time…? You CAN make the positive changes we talk about. You will only receive those benefits when you begin. Start today!

"X-actly What I Needed..."

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