03 June . 2022
Sweetwater residents are burning calories, building friendships with Zumba
Zumba classes are led 4-5 days a week by residents and licensed instructors Aish Viswanathan (left in photo), Alisa McGrane (center) and Sara Carson. Visit SweetwaterZumba.com to see the class schedule.
Membership in the Sweetwater Zumba Group is available for a monthly fee, which includes unlimited access to more than 16 classes each month. There are also options for one-week and one-day drop-in passes. Sweetwater residents enjoy preferred rates, and membership is also available to non-residents in nearby communities.
Aish Viswanathan, who spearheaded the effort to bring Zumba to Sweetwater several years ago, describes the workout as “exercise disguised as dancing.”
“Zumba is so much fun, people don’t realize they’re sweating and really working hard, but they are,” she says. “It is a high-intensity interval training workout.”
The typical 60-minute Zumba class burns an average of 369 calories, providing a cardio workout that melts fat, strengthens the core, and improves flexibility, according to the physician-reviewed website WebMD.com.
A business analyst for a financial services company by day, Aish has long been passionate about Zumba. She moved to Sweetwater in 2018 with her husband, Karthik, and her son, who is now 5.
Wanting to share her love of Zumba with neighbors, Aish held the first class at the Sweetwater Club in 2019. It was there that she met Alisa and Sara, who become active participants and later licensed fellow instructors.
The classes continued to grow through early 2020, moving moved to a virtual format on Zoom when the pandemic arrived. In 2021, classes moved back to the Sweetwater Club, where they were offered outdoors, along with a Zoom option.
Starting this spring, the Sweetwater Zumba program has been greatly expanded and relaunched. Classes are back inside at the Sweetwater Club, attracting up to 20 or more participants for each session, thanks in part to the support of the Sweetwater HOA, which has helped to provide space for the classes and promote awareness among residents.
Along with traditional Zumba, the group offers Zumba Toning, led by Alisa, which includes the use of light weights to help build muscle. Aish leads a unique Zumba/Bollywood Fusion class she created, combining mainstream hits with popular Bollywood music. This international flair is perfect for Zumba, which has spread to 180 countries.
As the Sweetwater Zumba Group grows, the Sweetwater Zumba team is already looking ahead to holding fundraisers for local charities with Zumbathons and other events. We’ll share details on these as they are available. In the meantime, sign up for your Zumba class at Sweetwater today!