The Most Common Zumba Injury
Good evening everybody! I decided tonight I would answer another question I get asked about a lot – Zumba injuries.
The Most Common Complaint
The biggest complaint or injury that people asked me about (normally when first starting Zumba) is pain in their knees. How do you fix it? Well, if you have no pre-existing conditions that have caused your knees to bother you in the past, the solution is almost always as easy as changing you sneakers. So many people first starting Zumba will come wearing their regular workout sneakers which are often runners. Sneakers with a whole lot of tread on the bottom for grip when you are running – forward. In Zumba we spend a great deal of time moving from side to side as well as pivoting and swivelling on our toes. Those thick treads on the bottom of running sneakers makes those movements harder because your feet want to stick to the floor. When your feet stick to the floor while doing those types of movements it’s a recipe for torquing your knee.
What is Torquing?
Torquing of the knee occurs when your knee is pointing in a different direction than your toes are facing. If you were to put your foot on the floor right now and just imagine moving your knee outwards without bringing your toes along with it you can get a good idea of how much pressure you would be putting on the tendons holding the knee in place. No imagine doing that over and over for an entire hour without even realizing it. No wonder it can make your knees hurt!
How Do I Avoid it?
The answer is pretty easy and two-fold. The easiest remedy – new shoes. Get a pair of sneakers made for cross training or even a dance sneaker. Something that is pretty flat on the bottom with very few (if any) treads. Sometimes you have to test drive a few pairs of sneakers before you find the pair that works for you. Cross trainers and dance sneakers are also good because they are made for lateral (side to side) movement so your ankle is being supported when you move from side to side unlike most running sneakers which only provide support when moving forward. Staff at any good shoe store should be able to help you find a pair of sneakers that will work for you.
I have a number of pairs of sneakers I wear for Zumba, and three of them have different sole patterns – and all work just fine for me.
I can’t tell you how many people who have complained of joint pain came back and told me what a world of different the right pair of shoes made. And they don’t have to be expensive at all. I have a number of participants that got a good pair of Champion sneakers at Payless for around $30 that work perfect for Zumba (in fact I keep a pair in my trunk in case I get somewhere and realize I’ve forgotten my sneakers).
What if you don’t have time to go get a new pair of sneakers, or can’t afford a second pair? Well, you can still participate in Zumba, you just need to make a couple of modifications to protect your knees. THe first thing you need to do is cut out any excessive pivot or swivelling movements. Make sure you are always keeping your knees pointing in the same direction as your toes. If you do need to pivot or swivel, made sure you are unloading the joint (taking the weight of that foot) prior to completing the movement. That way once again, the knee will stay in line with the toes.
Other Injury Concerns
Another less common complaint that I sometimes hear is that the participants toes are going numb or burning during class. This is almost always because they are spending too much time up on their toes while in like a merengue march, but sometimes can happen if your shoes don’t fit you properly. Either way it’s because the circulation is being cut off to the toes (the same as when any other body part falls asleep) and if you find this is happening to you, take a short break and march on the spot for a while until the feeling comes back. If you are wearing proper fitting shoes and insoles, this issue should go away on its own as you become more accustom to being on your toes, but if it doesn’t you may want to speak to a professional to see if there is another underlying issue.
One Last Thing…
{That heading totally reminded me of Columbo…did you know he died a few days ago??}
A lot of people have a misconception that if you have any type of knee or back problem that you can’t take a Zumba class or that it will make it worse. For most people, this simply isn’t true. Of course there are those that depending on their type of injury could find that Zumba makes it worse, but they are the minority and not the majority. In fact, in the thousand or so people who have taken classes from me in the past year or so, I would say I have encountered maybe 5 who really were unable to do it because of injuries – and maybe of those were due to acute injuries and not long-term injuries. There are also a number of people who take my Zumba classes because it is the only form of exercise that doesn’t bother their torn minicus, or the bursitis in the knee, or their slipped disc (which was repaired but still gives the individual problems when participating in other classes), etc. The awesome thing about Zumba is you can do the class high impact or low impact, and you work at your own level. The person next to you might be doing the low impact option while you are busting out the high impact option – but as long as you are both working at the pace that is appropriate for you everyone is getting the workout they need and can handle. Obviously if you do have a pre-existing condition you need to get approval from your doctor before beginning Zumba (or any other exercise regime), but in many cases they will tell you to try it out. Often time the worse thing you can do for an injury is nothing.
P.S. I know of a few people who have been told by their massage therapist or chiropractor after starting Zumba, “I don’t know what you’ve been doing but keep doing it – I’ve never seen your back so loose!”
Updated to add: This post was written as an informational post regarding the use of proper footwear in Zumba and other dance based aerobics classes and what can happen if you don’t wear the correct footwear. As with any activity, there are a multitude of injuries that can occur while doing Zumba and this post covers only those related to wearing the wrong shoes which are 95% of the injures I see in my classes. Everyone’s body is built differently so my best advice for you is, 1) if it hurts don’t do it, and, 2) if it continues to hurt after a week go get it checked out.
As with anything, not Zumba instructors are created equally there are lots of instructors out there teaching very safe classes where there are very few injuries, and there are lots of instructors out there teaching classes where people get injured all of the time. I have had very few injures (and most were shoe related) in my classes and I’ve taught well over 1000 of them. Be careful – ask around, make sure your Zumba (or fitness instructor) comes well recommended, and has the knowledge needed to provide you with a safe, effective and fun class.
I imagine I would need to try zumba to get a zumba injury. BUT now that I know about all of these risks I have even more excuses to not try zumba…
OK FINE I will try it already!!
lol. Honestly it’s not everyones “cup of tea” but I will say there are certainly more people who try it and like it than don’t! But I guess the key is finding a decent instructor.
I am the third person just in one of my Zumba classes that has had a knee SURGERY. I have always worn dance aerobics performance shoes, and I am a certified instructor. Now, I have a super messed up knee. I really feel that you are correct in the statement that Zumba needs to beef up their instructor requirements. I do not feel that warm ups prior to jumping up and dancing are addressed properly, if at all. A warm up does not mean just a “slower” song and it takes longer than 3.5 minutes to get ready to dance. This subject was never addressed at our instructor training, nor is it addressed at any of the 5 classes I went to per week. That is another issue. Over Zumba-ing according to my orthopedic surgeon anything that intense shouldn’t be done everyday, every week. Now I am told that I can no longer dance, this is unacceptable to me, but this is where I am. Please inform your readers to be careful, and inform the instructors to warm up the whole class!
Hi Vicki, if you read through my blog posts on Zumba you will see that I stress over, and over, and over again how important it is to take more than just the 8 hour training workshop and how I feel the Zumba licensing (because it’s a license not a certification) workshop falls short in many respects in my opinion. I really believe you should have to come from a fitness or dance background to become a teacher for this reason alone – participant safety. I am terribly sorry that you were injured and hope that you will be able to find another activity that you enjoy that doesn’t bother your injury.
I completely agree with you! The things I have seen would horrify any person with a fitness or dance background. I realize that the whole “Zumba” thing is a corporation and with that being said the bottom line is what they are all about, not how they are injuring people in the meantime. Get in, get the $$ and get out while it’s still the hot thing. It breaks my heart because dance means so much more to me than that.
Vicki newest post..Peppermint Cupcakes
I think those that have a solid foundation to build their classes will last for quite a while (it’s been going strong in Florida for over 1 years now), but those without the knowledge to back up what they are doing will end up leaving. HOpefully before they injure anyone, but unfortunately that isn’t and won’t always be the case. I’ve stood on my soap box and said over and over that this should be like other specialty licenses, anyone can TAKE the course, but only fitness instructors (and in this case dance instructors) can become licensed, everyone else should just get a certificate of completion. That’s what Resist-A-Ball and other companies do, and it’s a better way of protecting people, and in turn the brand. I know Zumba claims they want licensing to be open to anyone, but anyone that is serious about it should still take a certification course.
Sadly after talking to someone that took the AAFA Certification course as a pre-convention course at the Zumba convention, some of the certifications out there are a joke. She said they only had to do a 2 minute practical showing a low, moderate and high intensity variations of one exercise. Now that’s just as much a joke as the licensing workshop. I can’t tell you how long I working on my routines and stressed over getting ready for my 1 hour practical, but I’m glad I did, it really helped me build my confidence as an instructor and at least I know that I teach safe classes.
I totally agree that wearing the wrong shoes will get you every time. What kind of Nikes are on the right in your picture? I need new Zumba shoes stat!
From left to right:
Nike Zoom Essential Trainer (I have three pairs of these in different colours)
Nike Zoom Quick Sister Fly 1
Nike Air Kapelle
I know a number of people who have also had good luck the with nike musique (not sure if that’s spelled correctly) and I would love to try the nike huarache dance low but there aren’t any retailers around here that sell them (I’m hoping I can find some at the Nike Outlet in Florida when I’m there next week)!
Good luck
Hi, I was giving two Zumba classes a day and I was asked to give
one in which I attend the gym, Curves, and was half an hour.
In the fourth song I fainted and fell in front of a treadmill and I broke two ribs. Said dr. I dehydrated and gave me a syncope. That should have taken a lot of water, which had as I am aware that there must, but do not know if it was because I was exhausted or because many classes the same day. I sweat a lot, and I rather intense buzzing. Tip: Take Gatorate or Powerade, to restore the electrolytes in these classes. Is very important. Thanks.
Oh my goodness that is awful, I’m so sorry that happened to you! I hope that you are feeling better, broken ribs are really painful
Anytime it is hot, or I am teaching more than one class I make sure to take an electrolyte replacement, and when I teach two classes back to back I make sure to have a shot of protein and carbs in between classes.
I have been a professional ballroom and Latin dance teacher for 19 years and have danced in total for 30 years I was also a member of the British 10 Dance squad. I have a young lady who teaches Zumba for me and I am her dance adviser on it but the course for instructors is only one day before they start teaching, most of these instructors have no clue on Latin dance technique and this is what causes a lot of injuries how can you teach something with only one days training it takes years of lessons and practice to become a competent dance instructor.
I cringe when I see on youtube these people teaching salsa’s cha cha cha’s ect with incorect and unsafe leg and footwork work movement the most common thing is the collapsing of the knee and sides in an effort to move the hips, a good hip action comes from a controlled leg action, correct foot and floor pressure sorry but a one day course does not cut it if you want to get fit with latin dance then go to a professional latin dance instructor.
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment, this is a topic that I really feel strongly about also. I completely agree that a 1-day workshop is inadequate and irresponsible on the part of Zumba. Actually, I’ve written about that a number of times and the importance of finding a Zumba instructor with a fitness certification or dance instruction background for participant safety (here are two examples here and here . I have seen many videos and instructors doing things that scare the heck of me too, and most of the time it is because they have no idea about body mechanics. I’ve gone on and on about how I think nobody should be able to be a Zumba instructor unless they already hold a fitness certification or are a licensed dance instructor simply for those reasons but I doubt Zumba will change the rules since they can make way more money pumping out instructors this way.
Zumba isn’t meant to be a true latin (or any) dance class though, it is meant as a dance-based fitness class. Nobody is learning true salsa, cumbia, raggaeton, africian, bollywood, etc. dance moves. They are learning simplified moves that are meant to mimic those types of dance but certainly aren’t true to the classic dance technique.
A good instructor would make sure that their participants know that Zumba isn’t the place to go if you want to really learn to those dances. Most of the moves I use in my classes are pretty close to moves I had already been using in regular aerobics classes for years prior to Zumba and in the over 2000 Zumba classes I’ve taught the only injury coming from my classes have been people with improper shoes, and someone bothering an injury they already had. For someone wanting to learn REAL latin dance I agree, they need to go to a latin dance instructor, but anyone who wants to get the latin feel (along with many other dance styles), there are many good, well qualified Zumba instructors out there they can go to – people just need to take the time to find one until Zumba clues in and admits only qualified instructors into their licensing workshops.
Hello!
I got extensor tendonitis because i was doing zumba 4 times a week. I am gutted as i REALLY want to continue but its painful and the thought of being away from it for as much as a month is killing me!!!
I am taking Diklofenak as my foot is swollen and i will rest but i have a zumba marathon coming up and a teacher training i have been meaning to go to and i NEED t get better asap!
I wear Nike dance sneakers…so i should be fine but i dont understand why my right extensor tendons are complaining so much
Help please!
PS: great site!
Obviously your first stop should be a health care professional, my advice is only that – advice.
Lots of times extensor tendonitis can be caused from over tightened calf muscles so doing some serious flexibility work for the calve muscles may help you out. I tore the tendon in my big toe in high school and it still bothers me if I spend too much time up on my toes (like in a merengue, some salsas, etc.) so if you do take a class try and stay down on your full foot instead of being up on your toes as that will only add to the problem. When mine bothers me I like to wrap the foot, I find it helps with swelling and makes my foot less painful. Other than that really RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) are your best friend.
Let me know how you’re doing and good luck with the marathon & teacher training!!
Which champion shoes did you get?
they were the ones with balance ball technology, I know another instructor who wears the plain suede champion sneakers too. I wouldn’t wear them for more than one class a day as actually just keep them in my truck for emergencies now but they were decent for the price.
Do you mind describing the shoes or posting a photo of the Champion shoes? I can’t tell from the payless website which would should be likely candidates as they don’t show the tread/bottom view, and ‘balance ball’ doesn’t come up with anything in a search.
Thanks for the info, I’m new to zumba but can see how addictive the classes are. I’ve already discounted one of my pairs of sneakers, as it had too much tread.
I don’t think they sell that kind anymore, I bought mine over 1 1/2 years ago. Sorry!
I have been taking zumba on an off for 4 years. I started back this past may and have taken one class a week religiously. I cross train with eliptical and spinning as far as weight training. While taking Zumba last week I felt a pain in my hip. Someone mentioned I might hurt my hip flexor but I can lift my leg forward no problem. the pain is when I swivel my hip – the left one. it’s about a 6 on a scale of 1-10. SPinning doesnt bother it, just Zumba. I dont want to give up this class bc I love the teacher and choreography. I haven’t been to a doctor yet but Im wondering what it is and how I can fix it. have you heard of this injury before?
Kate I’m sorry to hear of your injury
I am not familiar with this type of injury and any diagnosis I gave for this injury would be nothing more than a guess so I strongly suggest you go see your physician, he or she will be abele to determine what’s going on with your hip and what you can do to fix it. Good Luck! I hope you are able to get back to Zumba!
I also had the same hip pain after doing Zumba 2-3 times a week for over 1 year…thought it may be a little bursitis, but when the pain started going down the leg I was concerned. I have 3 damaged discs pressing on the nerves. I am now having Depo Medrol and lidocaine injections into the space betweent the disc and nerve sacs. My MD (an anesthesiologist and pain specialist) stated he sees no benefit to Zumba whatsoever….he sees many, many injuries. I am very disappointed, since my Zumba-ing days are over….and I really loved it.
I’m so terribly sorry to hear about your injury
but for your doctor to say he see no benefit to Zumba is crazy. Lots of people are injured in every single sport and physical activity I can think of, that doesn’t mean there is no benefit. That’s like saying there is no benefit to skiing because lots of people break their legs, arms, necks, etc. while doing it.
I hope that your treatments provide you relief and that you are able to find something else you enjoy! <3
Hi Alicia and Suzi,
I was trying to find out about hip pain because I suddenly have it in my right hip only, and I think it stems from zumba. I’ve had it close to a week. No pain when I’m just sitting. I’m a zumba instructor, in very good shape, but I think perhaps i got a little overzealous with a song that has fast, big hip rolls in it. But I was thinking it might be tendonitis… Ibuprofin seems to help, but I tend not to like to take it because it’s so rough on your system. But from what I’ve read, I think i need to start it regularly and ice and see what happens. Do you know what type of dr I should go to? I have a very knowledgeable family dr, but he is also willing to send me wherever I want to go. Am I likely to need an MRI?
I agree with Suzi that Zumba should not be viewed as having no benefit. So many people who have never exercised enjoy moving their body now. But instructors need additional training, and sedentary people need to proceed with caution!Sorry that you cant partake any more, but I’m sure you will continue to enjoy being active.
Don’t even get me started on the lack of training in Zumba Instructors. I had a newly licensed zumba instructor in my class today that couldn’t figure out how to do a back salsa…..
Anyway, if I were you I’d start with a physio consultation or something if your own doctor doesn’t have any solution. Chances are you’ve got a tight hip flexor or ITB or something along those lines – hopefully it’s nothing more serious. At any rate, I have always found a good physiotherapist can help with these types of issues much faster than going for all sorts of tests when you don’t know what’s wrong. They will feel around and get you to do different exercises to see where the problem is originating and take it form there. That’s just my 2 cents, but certainly if it is still bothering you, you need to get it looked into further.
I started Zumba basic classes and I had bought the DVD series in Feb 2011. But in May my hip started feeling really sore,(not while doing it but a day or so later). It gradually came on and got worse, and I finally starting thinking it was from Zumba. Couldn’t do a reverse curl for example, really hurt in contraction. It would loosen up after walking a minute, but was stiff if sitting for awhile. So took off zumba for the summer till oct. Improvement was 30%. Went to my Sports orthopedic doctor which he couldn’t really pin it down, since I was not having intense pain anymore. Started doing zumba again, and wow, the same pain a couple days later i experienced in May. So now I know it was zumba. Investigating it my self online, I believe it’s trochanter bursitis is what I am feeling. It has slowly subsided over this past week. Just rested it and did take some anti inflammatory meds. For me the hip twisting movement and the jumping flared this up again. I will be seeing my doc Oct 20th to see if this is correct. But am very sad that I can’t do zumba. It I try it again it will be low impact and in the meantime will be doing strenthening and stretches for this type of injury.
I too, attended Zumba classes for a year and then began experiencing hip pain. After injections, scans, and four doctors, I have been diagnosed with a labral tear in the right hip joint. I will be undergoing hip arthroscopy soon.
What about shin splints? I have been going to about 9 classes a week. Do you think I’m doing it too many times and need to cut back some? It’s so addictive and I love it!
NINE!? Obviously I don’t know you or your activity level but I really do think 9 is too many to go to every week! I would really think you shouldn’t go to more than 4 or 5 maximum/week. You need to give your body some rest, as well it is very important to cross train to help develop a balanced body – but that’s just my opinion
Honestly, I’ve never experienced shin splits, nor have I heard of my participants having shin splints as a result of Zumba. Those usually occur from activities where you are lifting the toes frequently (walking and running come to mind) and that isn’t an action I really see that often in zumba, if you are experiencing shin splints it might be an indication of worn out shoes, or that you are doing too much and need to take a bit of a break…
I joined a health club and went from doing no exercise to Zumba classes and kick boxing each once a week. My heals of my foot were a little sore , but it was fun exercising so I kept going. I took an extra 2 hour wild Zumba class and noticed that while squating during class that my calfs were going to be a little sore. A few days later I noticed large black and blue marks in my mid calf. The internet said it may be calf contusions which are tears where the achilles tendon and the large upper calf muscle meet, and they bleed into the area causing the brusing. I am taking it much slower and being more careful.but I miss the rigorus workout. Do you know how long it will take to heal?
I’m so sorry to read about your injury, and I’m even more sorry to tell you I have no idea what could be causing it. My best (and really only) suggestion is to see your physician to rule out any serious problems and I hope you’re feeling better!
I have been doing Zumba for 1 month, 4 times a week. I have noticed that my left hip is hurting (aching) and I am a little worried. I have taken two days off but its still aching. I like doing it but I might stop if it keeps hurting. Do you think I pulled a muscle in the hip?
Sometimes over tightened hip flexors can cause hip discomfort, try googling hip flexor stretches and see if any of those help. Honestly though, if you are having continued pain try first of all cutting back to maybe 2x/week as starting to do too much too soon can cause injury and if that doesn’t help I would suggest seeing your Dr. to make sure it’s not something more serious. Take Care!!
Hi, I have been taking Zumba for about 4 weeks now going 2 to 4 times a day… Both my ankles started hurting at the same time but now after like 3 days my left ankle still hurts and my right one went away… What is the cause of my left ankle hurting sometimes it doesn’t hurt as much but sometimes I get really sharp pains…
Do you mean 2-4 times/week? I am not a physician so I can’t tell you why your ankles are hurting, but my first piece of advice would be to stop going to Zumba even for a week, to see if the pain goes away. If it does, then before trying Zumba again go to one of the good shoe or sports stores and have one of their experts help you pick a pair of sneakers as that could be what is causing your ankle pain. If those two things don’t work then I would suggest seeing your doctor to rule out any more serious problems. Good luck!
I’m a PT and a Zumba lover(participant, not instructor). One of the biggest issues I have seen in other students is plantar fasciitis, especially with a lot of high-impact songs. I used to emphasize to everyone they needed to be stretching more post-exercise, including my instructor. If you are taking Zumba and don’t spend much time stretching during class, make sure you stretch your hip flexors, quads, Hamstrings, and calves after every class. Your joints will thank you!
Thanks for your comment Eileen! Does your instructor not do a proper cool down with stretched at the end of class? I know a lot of instructors do an inadequate stretch which is a pet peeve of mine as well. It only takes a few minutes to do the lower body stretches and it is shameful when instructors get caught up in trying to make the cool down too dancey, and not properly stretching participants!
We do our zumba class in our school gymnasium, do you think the cement floor would cause knee problems?
If it’s a real gym floor it would be made to allow shock absorption and wouldn’t be straight up concrete. I also teach aqua fitness where I teach from the concrete pool deck and you can certainly feel it in your joints by the end of class all of the pounding on your body. If you’ve been doing it without any issues I expect the floor is fine
Reading your posts. I am disgusted with the ZUMBA(r) people. They are pooping out literally thousands of “licensed” NOT CERTIFIED instructors. I am 53 years old. Physically fit and in this business for 25 years. As a Massage Therapist, Certitifed Personal Trainer, Certified Group Instructor, Certified Circuit Training specialist, Certified YogaFit Instructor 0ver 200 hours RYT training, Certified Nutritional Consltant, I came away from my Zumba basic training disgusted. Out of 60 attendees 3 were Certified personal trainers. ONCE and only once did the ZES Instructor mention it would be of “benefit” to become certified. THAT WAS IT. PERIOD. In my personal and professional opinion there should be a CERTIFICATION program and NOT a licensed program. It is ALL ABOUT THE MONEY with Zumba peeps. If it wasn’t, everyone they trained, it would be MORE than one day, 8 hour of dancing then send them out the door with a DVD to continue to work with. to be “licensed Zumba instructor a person should already have to have a Certification in Personal Training or a Cetification as a Group Instructor. And this business about Non verbal cueing to give a “party atmosphere” is only a way for Zumba Inc. to differentiate themselves from Aerobics. After all Beto, the founder was and is an AEROBIC INSTRUCTOR! If you want SAFETY for your clients you should feel FREE and NOT GUILTY to verbally cue for proper technique to keep your clients safe! You can still have a PARTY atmosphere! Heck, in my “party days” and dancing days, we DID NOT JUST FLIP OUR HANDS IN THE AIR and maintain silence. We boogied, we whooped it up and shout it out and had a blast. We did not dance in SILENCE. They only want you you to shout out “zumba” when the song shouts it. It is stricly a money licensing grabbing company at this time. Zumba people are doing their clients and “ZIN” members an injustice by promoting a “party atmosphere of silence. And that is true. If you have ever owned your own business or worked in corporate office, they all have their own “gig” and want you to promote it and justify how they promote it by convincing the “small lay people” of their marketing scams to purchase product.
Sorry, I truly love Zumba dance. And it has so many benefits. But there are no benefits to pooping out licensed instructors with no background. That is when people et hurt and you hear about hip problems, knee problems etc. And it is not always about the shoes. It is about technique. The Zumba Corp needs to re think their “licenseing” instructors to CERTIFICATION.To make themselves credible. Then they send them out using their toning sticks with NO background in the health or fitness field. And there is nothing wrong with using 1 to 3 lb. dumbbells if it is WELL Choreographed and done intervally, dance to weight. It is STILL FUN, and STILL a blast, Effective,and safe. For those of us who have been in the industry and understand techique, Kinesiology, muscle response, etc…… Licensing instructors is a slam in the face to the years of education we have. And to try and tell us, and make us feel guilty, and even promote “telling” on us because we verbally cue….well, shame on Zumba.
I’ve written about this again and again and put it on every evaluation given to me at Zumba trainings. If you’ve read any of my posts on Zumba you’ll see that. The only point I disagree on is the non-verbal cueing. As an aqua fitness instructor I’ve taught classes without speaking for years before starting to teach Zumba. IF you know how to cue non-verbally properly, it can be really freeing for both the instructor and participants to not have to worry about shouting out and listening for cues all of the time.
All in all I’m in complete agreement. Seeing some of the “instructors” that get a license to teach scares the heck out of me. At my Zumba Toning workshop one person actually said, “I don’t know any muscle conditioning exercises besides a bicep curl. How do I learn more?” Um, hello – maybe you shouldn’t be TEACHING it then!!
Hi Suzi. I am 52 and in pretty good shape. For almost a year now I have been going to zumba classes 3 to 4 times a week. I recently injured myself with rotation cuff tendonitis. Do you think overhead movements, jumping jacks, caused this. We also do Zumba toning with lightweights. I feel great after 2 weeks. Just wondering if you heard of any cases of women getting tendonitis from Zumba. When I heal 100 percent I want to go back. Any suggestions? Thank you…..
As a fitness professional, not a medical professional I can’t really say what caused your injury, but certainly overhead movements done over and over can cause (or cause a flair up) of that type of injury.
Certainly I would suggest consulting a doctor regarding your injury, but if you do decide to continue with Zumba toning especially, drop down to either 1lb weights or go weightless for a while. You don’t “need” the weights and if you’re recovering from an injury you would be better off without them. Just be sure to concentrate on the muscle group you are working and contract the muscles and you will still get a toning effect without the added stress on the joints. As far as regular Zumba goes, when you return if anything bothers your shoulder – don’t do it. You aren’t required to do everything your instructor does, just mention to him or her that you have this injury so you will be modifying some of the moves, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Good luck and feel better
There has been much talk about Zumba injuries but I want to speak up in behalf of Zumba and all the good it has done me. I attend classes led by 2 different instructors. They each have different routines and levels of exertion one can ramp up to. Also, floor surfaces range from carpeted to tiled flooring. Both incorporate cool down stretches and one of them an even more rigorous stretching cool down with great standing yoga moves.
I took Zumba 101 in a 4 week series beginning the first week in December 2011. This was a great way to learn the steps and realize that I indeed did NOT have 2 left feet and couldn’t dance! When I started Zumba I had an almost constant aching back and a sciatica nerve issue from my left lower back through my left hip. I also have a bad shoulder. To boot I was approximately 60 lbs. overweight. I KNEW I had to get moving but I detest floor exercise or any kind of exercising that isn’t FUN! Other exercises I enjoy are biking, walking, kayaking and swimming.
At first in some of the routines I could feel the pain in the left hip and would have to modify my steps to compensate. Arm lifting was a bit touchy at first too with my funky shoulder. However, as I proceeded along with Zumba I now MUST do Zumba or my body goes back into it’s painful ways. My shoulder loosens up quickly now with no pain and my lower back and hip are painless now during Zumba. I have been able to ramp up my energy and even handle the hops as I am gaining strength. I started Weight Watchers the same time I started Zumba and I have lost 22 lbs. thus far, almost half way to my weight loss goal and I feel GREAT! I go to Zumba 2 to 4 times a week and usually average 3 a week, 1 of them often Zumba on the CURVES Circuit so involves exercise machines as well, all for 1 hour sessions. I also have Zumba and other exercise programs for home which I don’t use very often. One of my Zumba instructors will be adding Aqua Zumba in a few months which will be a wonderful addition, especially for those with arthritis, knee problems and other disabilities. I like being in the water so I find this very exciting!
A word on shoes. Ironically, today I read the article on proper shoes a day AFTER I purchased good shoes. It was good to know I instinctively knew what I needed. I purchased them at JCPenny for #30, a real bargain and after just one use find them just right. I also have suffered from plantar facititis so I put inserts in them for extra support. The reason I knew I needed different shoes was I almost fell several times during vigorous Zumba dance moves on a carpeted floor when my shoe would grab too suddenly. It was still a bit of a problem on the tiled floor but much less so. I could see how one could easily over-torque a knee or hip.
What’s so great about Zumba is it can be modified to suit you and your physical needs. My classes include all ages at all fitness levels, slender to very overweight. Some barely move and other are very athletic. I am 62 years old and along with my loss of weight and my increase in energy am better able to keep up with the young, slim and healthy. However, I will never any longer quite reach their level of energy and athleticism but I sure as shootin’ am going to keep trying. And I am smart about what I should and shouldn’t do like in any exercise we undertake on our own. Just plain common sense and being tuned into our bodies AND under a doctor’s advice if necessary.
Therefore, I am a confirmed Zumbaholic! It’s the best thing that ever came my way!
Thank you so much for your comment Barb! I’m glad Zumba is working so well for you. I agree, unfortunately the old saying “no pain, no gain” has a hint of truth to it. Lots of times a new fitness regime or program will cause more pain at first as your body opens up and adapts to the new stress, but in then end (most times) the pain works itself out as the muscles loosen up and get used to the movement. I have seen overweight, inactive people become fit and very active people in the matter of less than a year. It’s truly amazing.
Zumba is like any other sport. There are injures that can occur, but that doesn’t mean that people it didn’t work for one person it won’t work for anyone. I’m so happy to hear you’re a Zumbaholic, many of my favourite people are
Years of zumba classes have now left me with a torn mniscus in knee and I am awaiting knee surgery. It isn’t worth it.
I think the lack of training provided to zumba instructors meaning that many “instructors” out there have no fitness training or know proper body mechanics which leads to injuries such as yours. I’m sorry for your injury, but it just one more reminder of why Zumba needs to change their licensing rules. I’ve been teaching for years and nobody has suffered any knee injuries in my classes due to zumba. I actually have people that come to Zumba because it is the only class they can handle due to knee injuries. It’s all about the instructor. I can’t preach it enough to find out about your instructor, their qualifications and their background.
I have been taking Zumba since Oct about once a week. Over the last 3 months my knees have given me a lot of trouble. They feel swollen inside and i can no longer get down into a childs pose in my yoga class. My quads are tight as drums (good but bad). I changed my shoes in zumba to ones that look like the ones you have on the far right. It helped but my knees are progressively getting tighter. Would you suggest I stop doing zumba for a while. I hate to stop…it kills me to stop I love it so much but I can’t figure out if it is zumba or yoga and it must be zumba? any suggestions for relieving this tightness in my quads. i have tried foam rollers and that helps but seems to leave my knees in agony the next morniing. I am not rolling through my knees just above and just below. Ouch today the knees are painful to sleep in. thanks Teresa
I would suggest stopping for at least a week to see if your knee pain goes away. If it does, then you know it’s Zumba. Or perhaps speak to your instructor to see if they have any suggestions on modifications you can make that will make it more knee friendly. If he/she doesn’t have any suggestions it could be that they haven’t been properly trained in body mechanics (this happens when instructors are licensed to teach Zumba but have no other fitness background) and could quite possibly be injuring you without even realizing it. Generally speaking, anyone with a fitness background will be able to give you modifications to take the pressure off the knees which should allow you to continue doing zumba (even if slightly modified). If they can’t, maybe it’s time to check out another instructor?
Have you tried massage therapy or phyiso regarding your quads? It’s hard for me to give recommendations on a particular case without being able to see you in the flesh. Sometimes hot packs (magic bags or heating pads) can help ease muscle tension, as can anti-inflamatories (ibuprofen, advil, etc). Also make sure when using a foam roller on such tight muscles that you only spend 30 seconds or less rolling them at a time, if you go longer it will certainly make it hurt more. It’s best to start with really small amounts of time I find.
thank you for the feedback. I have noticed that immediately after using the foam roller i feel less tight and a lot better. then by the morning it is so much worse. When I did yoga by the end of class everything was better. that’s a good warm up for you but still pain never quite went away. i will lay off this week. thanks Teresa
Teresa newest post..Weekend Inspiration