From the healthiergang writer Michele Sguera, personal trainer with a Master in Sports Management and Sports Enterprises.
Batuka: What is it?
The world of fitness is constantly evolving. Every year new disciplines are proposed that try to attract the attention of millions of fans around the world.
The term batuka derives from the Portuguese term batucada, meaning meeting place for people who dance together. Batuka is part of that series of activities, such as Zumba, which link the world of music to that of physical exercise or cardiovascular sessions for a total body workout.
The training sessions, unlike the traditional “no pain - no gain” notions of exercise, focus on joy and fun. It is forbidden to be bored!
La Batuka was born in 2005 in Spain from the idea of ​​Kike Santander, Colombian musician and producer who created the music for this particular training.
It quickly became popular in Spain, selling more than 1,5 million DVDs and attracting millions of practitioners. Thus was born a new way of doing group physical activity that has seen its growth not only in Spain but also in other European countries such as your country, Germany and France.
Batuka was officially launched in the North American market in 2011 while the following year it was spread to the rest of Europe.
In 2012 the creator Kike Santander decided to rename it to QiDance to give it an international edge and appeal (in the article I will continue to call it Batuka).
How is batuka practiced?
Batuka is a very energetic dance that uses the most varied musical genres: Latin, Bollywood, African and Hip-Hop.
The choreographies, while being high intensity and full body, are easy to perform. Furthermore, they do not require much experience in dance as it is not necessary to perfectly "imitate" the instructor.
We can say that this activity is a discipline between dance and fitness.
Batuka e Zumba
In this article, I have mentioned Zumba and will clarify the main differences between the two disciplines.
Both styles are an excellent cardio workout that activates different muscle groups. These two disciplines bring the same benefits of other aerobic activities such as: improved lung function, heart and circulation. Other positive effects are found in the increase of energy, in the control of weight and in the improvement of the quality of sleep.
But there are also differences.
The most obvious is, of course, the music. During the Zumba lessons almost exclusively Latin American music is played, the Batuka instead uses different musical genres from all over the world.
Another aspect to consider is the different energy expenditure with slightly different intensity levels of the workouts. American researchers have in fact shown that Batuka provides training sessions with a greater intensity than Zumba.
Benefits
In this study it was noted that during a Batuka lesson lasting 52 minutes, about 430 kcal are burned and the heart has an average of 158 beats per minute, while with Zumba about 369 kcal are burned with an average of 154 beats per minute. minute.
But the biggest difference between the two disciplines is that Batuka is part of a health and fitness plan that goes by the name of Qignition.
Kike Santander has conceived Qignition as a wellness program with its own dietary model and its own lifestyle, the "Batuka Philosophy", which aims to guide the practitioner to achieve a balanced lifestyle and a harmonious inner state .
According to this philosophy, music is the instrument of positive energies, well-being and health are the most precious things, movement through music allows you to feel better physically and mentally.
Another great benefit of this discipline is the possibility of losing weight through a fun activity. The batuka allows you to train all areas of your body.
Conclusion
The researchers observed that the maximum heart rate and VO2 max * expressed with the Batuka are in line with the parameters necessary for the improvement of cardio-respiratory abilities, thus making it an optimal practice for all those who are trying to lose weight or who want to maintain the state of form achieved perhaps after a period of diet.
* (it is generally expressed as Vo2Max: the maximum volume of oxygen consumed per minute. "Maximum oxygen consumption is a global and integrated measure of the maximum exercise intensity that a subject can tolerate for quite long periods of time" (Cerretelli and Prampero, 1987)
Finally, an aspect not to be overlooked is that Batuka using a wide range of musical genres and a training style that engages the whole body is certainly one of the most enjoyable fitness experiences, a peculiarity that hardly leads to abandoning this discipline once. started.
For the rest, the usual rules apply, precious, to be followed before starting any type of training.
The Batuka requires good hydration, suitable shoes and choreography / training programs adapted to your state of form in order to avoid unpleasant as well as unnecessary injuries.
Our articles should be used for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be taken as medical advice. If you are concerned, consult a health professional before taking dietary supplements or making major changes to your diet.
