What is Konga?

Konga is a form of bodyweight exercise (exercise that uses your own weight as resistance against gravity). It is a fusion of boxing, cardio and dance and is set to the hottest music from every decade. We have Konga workouts in Morley, Baldivis and Southern River.

What it’s based on

Konga was born in Perth, where it was invented by Australian fitness guru, Tara Simich and it is a form of Jungle Body training similar to Zumba.

The Jungle Body method is functional beat-driven training designed to burn fat, shape the physique and flood the body with endorphins. As well as Konga, other fitness programs in the Jungle Body stable include Vypa, Jagua, Tyga and Burn.

Unlike Zumba, which is Latin-inspired and uses mostly Latin beats such as Salsa, Merengue and Samba, Konga has no Latin influences and instead draws its inspiration from a combination of jazz, disco hip-hop afro, electronic Top 40 and old school music.

What it involves

A typical Konga class usually begins with some gentle moves such as  punching, stretching and shoulder rolls designed to warm up the muscles and joints.

Then the pace picks up a notch or three, along with the music and before you know it, you’ll find yourself squatting low, jumping high and punching hard and using every part of your body from your arms and legs to your abs and glutes.

By the time you get to the end of the workout, you’re tired and sweaty but strangely happy and your endorphins are working overtime. You’ve also happy in the knowledge that you’ve burned between 400 and 700 calories just in this one 60-minute session.

The benefits of Konga

Dance is considered by many to be the ultimate bodyweight exercise and Konga offers similar benefits to those normally associated with dancing;

• Enjoyment – unlike HIIT and weight training, where boring reps are the name of the game, Konga is all about letting your hair down and having fun while you get fit.
• Inclusiveness – because there are no specialised moves to be learned and good coordination is not a prerequisite, Konga is a great form of group exercise that people can participate in without feeling self conscious at all.
• Low impact – because the moves is Konga are not repeated for long periods at a time, there is no inordinate stress placed on any particular part of the body. This makes Konga (and any dance based workout) something people can do regardless of their level of fitness. There is even a program called Konga Low Impact, which is low impact cardio especially designed for seniors, the disabled and those with joint and muscle issues.

Because most of us like music and dancing, the best thing about Konga is that once you’ve tried it, it’s likely to become your favourite form of fitness training. So why not give it a go and contact us today at Bailey Fitness about our Konga classes in Perth.

The Bailey Fitness timetable is available here and our full list of fitness classes is here.