Don't you remember, it was the 80s and lots of people were doing it.
Even those that weren't doing it, were talking about doing it. There
were shows all over television. These people were standing in
formation, wearing leotards and leg warmers. They were doing what
looked like exercise, but this wasn't called exercise, it was called
aerobics. It looked like a combination of dance and exercise. But what
was this new form of sweating?
The age of aerobics can be
credited to Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Dr. Cooper was an exercise physiologist
for the US Air Force and he couldn't understand how some people, who
seemed in great physical condition, were not able to perform at a high
level when they were swimming, long distance running and bicycling. He
began testing people's performance, using a bicycle ergometer and
focusing on the human body's ability to utilize oxygen. In 1969, Dr.
Cooper published a book called Aerobics, which documented what he had
learned through his testing.
The word aerobic means, with oxygen.
Aerobics are supposed to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and
then have this blood flow to the muscles. Aerobic exercise can produce
many benefits; it burns calories and increases the body's metabolism,
both of which help in losing weight. Those people that went through Dr.
Cooper's testing, discovered even more benefits of aerobic exercise.
These included; toning muscles all over the body, making the heart
muscle stronger, improving the respiratory muscles and increasing the
number of red blood cells in the body. Regular aerobics can also help
reduce cardiovascular problems.
The 1980s saw the television air
waves and media in general flock to the aerobic craze. Hollywood stars
were knocking each other over, in their quest to be the next star with
an aerobic video on the market. Funny thing is, none of these stars
were widely known in the exercise industry, until aerobics came around.
I guess that maybe the inside joke of the aerobics era was that so many
people purchased videos from people who weren't even experts in the
field of aerobics. Maybe that's what star power is all about, being
able to sell a product that you have very little knowledge of.
Even
though aerobics was an overwhelming success, it had its doubters. Many
felt that aerobics wasn't a balanced exercise program. This was mainly
due to the fact that aerobics didn't require the use of weights. Light
weights could be added to the aerobic exercise, but not the kind that
would build muscle strength. Many people saw this as a flaw in the
aerobic program. The problem with this specific complaint is that Dr.
Cooper never set out to build up the body mass of the individual. His
main concern was to see if the body could perform at a higher level, by
increasing its oxygen intake.
The 90s saw a decrease in the star
power of aerobics and brought more professionalism to the industry.
Organizations like Aerobics and Fitness Association of America created
certification programs for instructors. Aerobic athletes also competed
in national and international competitions.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Aerobics
