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