Jazzercise & Weight Loss

Maintaining an active lifestyle is one of the best ways to achieve a healthy weight and ensure your overall well-being. Since 1969, millions of people worldwide have been able to lose weight healthily through the group fitness program called Jazzercise.

What is Jazzercise?

• Jazzercise is a group fitness class that combines techniques of jazz dance, Pilates, yoga, weight-training and other aerobic methods along with stretching into a 60-minute total body workout.

Benefits

• It is easy to find ways to burn calories resulting in weight loss; it is difficult to find a program you can stick with long term. Jazzercise classes provide a sense of community, excitement and support that individual physical activity may lack. The instructors also aim to make exercise something to enjoy through upbeat music, dance moves and constant encouragement. You may find it much easier to make exercise part of your daily routine when it is something you look forward to instead of something you dread. Most weight-loss programs and support groups focus on diet and simply encourage you to exercise. Jazzercise classes are focused on providing you with a practical and enjoyable way to add this physical activity to your weight-loss routine.

The Facts

• Jazzercise can be a great way to lose weight and kick start a healthy, active lifestyle. According to the Jazzercise website, the average person can burn up to 500 calories in each 60-minute class. Burning more calories than consumed each day is a simple formula to shed pounds effectively. For example, if your body burns 2,000 calories in a day without doing any strenuous physical activity, you should intake 2,000 calories to maintain your weight. However to create a calorie deficit and lose weight, you can either take in fewer calories, exercise to burn extra calories or do both. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories. Therefore, if you create a deficit of 500 calories each day through diet and exercise, you will lose one pound every week.

Types

• Jazzercise classes come in eight varieties: Original, Lite, Body Sculpting, Personal Touch, Express, Step, Circuit Trainings and Junior.

  Choose a class that fits your fitness goals and preferences. You may want to mix things up a bit and attend a few different classes for some variety. However, remember that it is beneficial to stick to a routine. For consistency, try to choose a particular class for each day of the week you attend, keeping the lineup the same every week.

Finding a Class

• Jazzercise classes take place all over the United States and in many other other countries. The average class costs between $8 and $11 for a single visit and less for a package deal. For a full list of registered instructors, locations and prices, visit the website or call (800) FIT-IS-FIT.

Considerations

• While Jazzercise is a great and effective way to exercise, a healthy diet is also something to consider when trying to lose weight. It is important to be careful not to fall under the assumption that just because you are exercising means you can eat whatever you want. Time magazine in August 2009 warned of the dangers for people who exercise regularly and end up eating more calories, leading to weight gain, in the article, "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin." It is important to keep in mind that a combined effort focused on diet and exercise is the healthiest, most effective way to reach-weight loss goals and achieve an overall healthy lifestyle.