Maximing Your Zumba Fitness Workout

Have you ever read this article from Shape magazine? It's a couple of years old now, but it offers advice on how to maximize fat burn in a Zumba class. I like the ideas, which include:

1. Let loose
2. Maximize arm movement
3. Move up and down more (changing levels)
4. Work your booty (whenever "shaking it", press your heals into the floor)
5. Rock the moves you know

I highly recommend you read the article - it's good advice to share with students. It also reminded me of this post I wrote about the Energy Equation and techniques for instructors to help students get a better workout:

1. Great music
2. Make sure there's plenty of room and encourage them to use it
3. Motivation without bullying
4. Focus on a body part

I think we can really help students maximize fat burn with this last technique. Usually on the second time we do a move in a song, I point to a body part and ask the class to focus on it, either by making a ridiculous face or squeezing my fists to indicate "tighten these muscles!" or occasionally by just saying "squeeze those XYZs on this move!". Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It kills me to see students come to class and barely move or lose out on the best parts of a workout when I know they can push harder.

Other ideas for helping students maximize calorie burn in class?