Salsation – fitness with your favourite rhythm

Until now, have you associated exercising to music with fitness classes or the well-known zumba? Salsation – a workout that combines hot rhythms, energetic music and basic dance steps – may steal your attention for longer. How is it different from the popular zumba and why is this form of training likely to work for you?

02 November 2023

What does salsation fitness involve?

Each salsation workout is a separately told story, usually encapsulated in an hour-long class in the training room. It is a combination of functional training and dance styles from hot regions of the world. It features steps of salsa, bachata, samba, flamenco, and sometimes Cuban rumba or mambo.

Each class begins with a warm-up, and the main idea is to perform the prepared choreography, feel the rhythm and interpret it independently through movement. As Alejandro Angula, choreographer and promoter of salsation, points out, it is a workout of emotions (“sensation”) topped with a hot sauce (“salsa”).

The popularity of salsation is growing – there are joint training sessions organised all over the world, which take place in the most beautiful corners of it, on ships or beaches.

Salsation – what are the benefits?

While you can learn the basic steps of various dance styles through salsation, these classes are not designed to teach you specific dance techniques. This training first and foremost:

contributes to improving well-being, getting rid of stress and expressing one’s emotions through movement,
supports weight loss,
helps maintain overall fitness,
improves balance and increases body awareness.

How is salsation different from zumba?

The popular zumba is a fitness programme also based on dance. It uses moves inspired by various styles of Latin American music. A classic zumba workout includes jumps, brisk pace and dynamic moves.

Thus, it is a type of fitness class that combines elements of dance and cardio training, rather than functional training, although you can spot classic sports figures there as well. Zumba focuses on simple but precise moves and, as a result, requires participants to have a higher skill level, better shape and control of the moves, rather than interpreting them freely. Latin rhythms add dance-like character and appeal to the sequences.

Zumba has gained popularity precisely because of its intensity. Elements of cardio training make this form of physical activity a very effective aid in burning calories and increasing endurance.

The differences between salsation and zumba can be summarised as follows:

Zumba draws from Latin American dance styles such as salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, samba, tango and flamenco. You can also clearly see in it the inspiration of belly dance or Quebradita. Salsation also focuses mainly on Latin American dances, but places more emphasis on individual expression through dance moves rather than dance effort as such. For this reason, this training is called the “dance of the soul”.
Zumba abounds in more intense cardio elements, which can make it more demanding in terms of physical fitness. Salsation focuses on the spiritual aspect and functional training.

The choice between salsation and zumba depends on each participant’s preference and dance skill level. It is important to choose a programme that is fun while providing health benefits. Both forms of training can also appeal to children. Salsation, in the form of classes dedicated to the youngest, is slowly displacing zumba kids.

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