Photo by Eleena Fikhman Shirley Roseboro (left) and Carolyn Grant, both of the Cody Child Development Center, work out their entire bodies during one of the more up-tempo songs.

Fitness Coordinator Sylvia Garcia became certified to teach Zumba late last year, and classes began on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall at the beginning of February. The first class started in the exercise room on the second floor, and has grown to as many as 22 people, requiring the class to move onto the basketball court.

Before each song, Garcia would show them a few of the moves in the song to help prevent them from getting lost, but the beauty of Zumba is that it allows people to work at their own pace within the songs.

‘‘If you want a really intense workout, it’s there, but if you need to slow down, you can do that too,” Garcia said. ‘‘It doesn’t always register that so many muscles are working, but your hip, waist, thighs, arms and lower back are all getting used.”

The music provides the foundation of each workout, and the breaks between songs offer a natural recovery period for the participants. Songs vary from up-tempo to slower paced, but all of the songs provided a good workout.

Unlike a lot of classes where people tend to fall behind and get lost, the rhythm of the song helps keep people on the same pace, even if they’re not following the choreography exactly.

‘‘Sometimes it’s hard to get the steps without the music, but it’s easy to feel it during the songs,” Garcia said.

The class is attended by mostly women, with ages ranging to their mid-seventies to early twenties, and even the occasional toddler who comes in with a parent. Men are welcome to participate, but Garcia finds that a lack of knowledge often keeps them away.

‘‘Last week there was a male Marine who was watching the class, and we pulled him in,” Garcia said. ‘‘He stayed in for four or five songs, and by the time they were done, he was beat.”

For people already enjoy dancing, it’s a perfect way to keep in shape without the tedious nature of running laps, lifting weights or spending time on a treadmill.

‘‘I’ve always loved dancing, it’s a passion of mine,” said Ivette deLeon, of the Defense Information Systems Agency, who used to teach Zumba. ‘‘It’s a great way to burn calories, and it’s never, ever boring.”

Some even see the class as an essential stepping stone to get their dance careers off the ground.

‘‘This was the first time I’ve done it, but I’ll definitely be back,” said Carolyn Grant, who works at the Cody Child Development Center.

‘‘I’m trying to land a part on ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ and this is how I’ll do it,” she said with a laugh.

‘‘I thought it was a great way to release stress from the day, and a great workout,” said LaTonya Scales, who also works at the CDC.

The classes are held at the Fort Myer Fitness Center from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information, call the center at (703) 696-7868.