Zumba classes are taught by instructors licensed by Zumba Fitness, In one Zumba class, typically around one hour long, a participant can burn up to 600 kcal, depending on the intensity. The music combines the dance styles of cumbia, salsa, merengue, mambo, flamenco, chachacha, reggaeton, soca, samba, hip hop music, axé music, and tango.

Zumba instructors have the option to become members of the Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN), to receive monthly music and bi-monthly training videos to assist with the creation of music and choreography for their classes. There were more than 100,000 Zumba instructors around the world.