Strength training center FAQs
How many variations of aerobics exercise are out there?
Aerobics is a versatile form of exercise and can be applied and fused to other practices as well. A popular variation called step aerobics require the use of a raised platform placed on the ground in front of the user. The exercises make use of body movements that require “stepping” up and down. Besides step aerobics, there are also water aerobics and aerobic gymnastics. Water aerobics is simply cardio exercise executed in about waist-high deeper water, and though it is considered to be low-impact activity, water aerobics require a certain amount of knowledge in swimming. Aerobic gymnastics is also known as “sport aerobics,” or competitive aerobics, that includes complex choreography and rhythmic and acrobatic gymnastics. Aerobic gymnasts perform in competitions that have set rules and requirements for different categories. Many other common sports require athletes to participate in aerobic training too, like cross-country skiing, kick-boxing, and even swimming.
How did aerobics become popular?
The commercial success of aerobics was thanks to several individuals who integrated aerobics with other forms of physical training, which created a profitable and beneficial market. During the 1970s, Judi Sheppard Misset created her “Jazzercise” program that combines jazz dance, resistance training, Yoga, Pilates, and even kickboxing. Richard Simmons hosted a television show dedicated to aerobic exercise in the 1980s. Billy Blank, a Tae Kwon Do practitioner, developed the “Tae Bo” routine in the 1990s, which helped to popularize workouts that use martial arts techniques called cardio-boxing.
Is aerobics for everyone, even for people who are significantly weaker and ill?
Anyone who can perform physical activity for periods of time is participating in aerobic exercise. Unfortunately, there have been cases where individuals grow obsessed with body weight, image, and food intake that they develop eating disorders. People who increase their training volume experience calorie deprivation. Often times, they would not realize how much more food they need to consume in order to sustain enough energy for the increased physical demand. Athletes and exercise enthusiasts should always be considerate of their health when planning diets and workout schedules. Exercise should be beneficial and not end up detrimental to one’s overall health and well-being.