After Jim Fixx published his groundbreaking book Aerobics in 1977, there was an explosion of interest in group cardiovascular activity. This article traces the history of that activity and show how that evolution has affected its current state.
The popular imagination may have first been inspired by Jane Fonda's workout videos. Ms. Fonda was an early participant in TV ads that were later to be called infomercials. They featured her leading a class of young women in leotards bouncing around to the music. The pitch was that you too could get it shape with Jane by buying her videotapes, plugging them into your VCR, and dancing in front of your TV. You got Jane and the motivation of the class and music, all in the privacy of your own home. Jane's videos still hold records for video sales and infomercials.
The health clubs were quick to pick up on this trend. In addition to offering the usual weight training equipment, which was used mostly by men, the clubs offered aerobics classes that were much like Jane Fonda's. These classes appealed primarily to women. They featured a fit instructor chanting orders to music, as the students facing her jumped around, got their hearts beating, raised a good sweat, burned calories, and increased cardiovascular capacity. These places were now called health clubs and health spas, instead of gyms, to allow for the women and non-bodybuilders to feel comfortable. Carpets and potted palms completed the image.
Around the same time, the first modern stationary bikes appeared in the clubs. The leading brand was Lifecycle. Lifecycles featured most of the modern features we now enjoy, such as programed, timed workouts. Then came the treadmills. Then came the elliptical machines. And don't forget the rowing machines. However, what was missing from the machines was that group dynamic, that extra push of being part of a group and not wanting to let the instructor down. So the bikes and treadmills ending up serving like training wheels that gave way to participation with the pulsating disco beat of the aerobics class. You kids may scoff. You may not believe it. But it was just like a disco, with flashing lights, a loud bass beat, headbands, leg warmers, and lots of hair flying around!
But all things must pass. After a few years of this, the knees, feet, and hips started to object. The carefree habits of youth thus gave way to "low-impact" (old folks') aerobics. Low impact aerobics was similar to its predecessor version, just kinder and gentler. Into the club came the yoga classes, the day care center, and a somewhat older clientele. Before you could say "1990," aerobics seemed to have died, replaced again by ever-more-advanced treadmills and elliptical machines.
But classes continued their evolution. Successful clubs offered a choice of yoga, aerobics, and "step-aerobics," which involved stepping up onto a low, portable platform to increase the effort required by the prescribed moves. The latest classes are "spin" classes, wherein participants ride bikes to the music and instructions of the class leader. The promise of these classes is low impact on the joints and high impact on performance and cardio vascular capacity. At the same time, the clubs are trying to compete with the increasing popularity of home treadmill-world.com treadmills and ellipticals. The quality of this home equipment has recently improved dramatically and its price has dropped to the point of being competitive with the cost of gym memberships.
Robert Braun has been writing about exercise equipment for decades. For more information on treadmills, see Treadmill-World.com Treadmill-World.com
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