Home Bodies: Zumba with Martha Patricia Montes of Chicago Latin Fitness

Feb 11, 2021 at 5:13 AM Martha Patricia Montes of Chicago Latin Fitness demonstrates a Zumba routine. No matter why you enter her studio, Martha Patricia Montes is ready to find a workout that works for you. She has helped clients with pre- and postnatal exercise, sports training, gaining strength after an injury and weight management. Montes has been a fitness instructor for 20 years and has a master’s degree in exercise science. Advertisement That translates to her Zoom classes, too, which include Zumba, yoga and strength training under the umbrella of Chicago Latin Fitness, which she founded in 2009. When Montes looked to take her workouts virtual, she had to consider limitations brought by working from home. Home Bodies: Take your fitness routine virtual in 2021. Watch our online video series and see which workouts work for you. » “Nothing too crazy that required a lot of space, because most people are in their bedrooms and living rooms or have a downstairs neighbor,” Montes said. “It can’t be overly complicated, because of equipment. How many dumbbells can you have at home?” Advertisement Fitness instructor Martha Patricia Montes leads a virtual yoga class from her home studio in the North Mayfair neighborhood in Chicago on Jan. 15, 2021. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) She tells clients to grab filled water bottles or cans of food for weights. She also thought of people’s schedules, many upended during the pandemic. She scheduled classes that participants could squeeze in before work or use to unwind at the end of the day. There is one benefit to online exercise, Montes said: People are less self-conscious and willing to try things they might be uncomfortable testing out in front of a crowd. “Some of my clients actually got better in their technique and form working out from home, even though I wasn’t there to place them physically,” she said. “I think it’s because you turn on other parts of your brain to adjust to visual cues, and also they’re not comparing themselves to other people in the room.” It also removes limitations like venturing out in the cold to travel to an in-person class or searching for parking on crowded streets. Instructors, too, are able to cut down on overhead costs like paying for studio space. When Montes began working as a personal trainer, she considered renting a studio for her business. “But then your objective becomes having people come to your place. You’re tied down,” she said. “So then you have to choose the right location, the right neighborhood with transportation and parking. And I just wanted to go where people are.” Home Bodies: Kickboxing with Seobia Rivers of Healthy Hood » That format has worked for her ever since, she said. Montes partnered with the Chicago Park District, city schools, hospitals and corporate offices to offer fitness programs to members and staff. To give back, she partnered with Girls on the Run, which uses fitness to help young girls build life skills with the help of mentors and coaches. Exercise is restorative, particularly for those spending their days cooped up, working from home and sitting in front of a computer. “You need that time to reload,” she said. “Think of it as when you’re plugging in your laptop or phone. You need to give yourself that same recharge.” Join Martha Patricia Montes of Chicago Latin Fitness in a five-minute Zumba workout as part of the Tribune’s “Home Bodies” series in the video above. “Home Bodies” shares insight from Chicago-area fitness instructors on how they adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with short sample workouts that provide an opportunity to test out new types of exercise for a routine tailored to any fitness goal. Check back next Thursday for another installment. Recommended on Chicago Tribune