Aerobics
Aerobics, derived from the Greek words for "air" and "life," encompasses a range of physical exercises designed to improve cardiovascular conditioning and lung function by stimulating the body's oxygen transport system. Originating in the mid-20th century, aerobics gained popularity through the work of Kenneth H. Cooper, whose research highlighted the benefits of regular cardiovascular workouts. The exercise form evolved significantly, incorporating music and dance elements, which made it appealing to a broader audience and facilitated its rise as a cultural phenomenon, especially in the United States. Aerobics routines typically involve warming up, followed by sustained activities that elevate the heart rate, often practiced in group settings, creating a social environment that encourages participation.
As the fitness industry burgeoned into a multibillion-dollar sector, aerobics also diversified, leading to the emergence of various styles such as jazzercise and spinning. Government initiatives in the mid-20th century further promoted fitness awareness, which has continued to influence health culture. Despite its widespread acceptance, discussions around aerobics also raise important questions about accessibility and inclusivity, as financial barriers can limit participation for some individuals. Today, aerobics remains one of the most practiced forms of exercise worldwide, reflecting a deep-seated cultural emphasis on health and fitness.
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Aerobics
Aerobics, from the Greek words for air and life, is a term from the field of biology. It refers to sustained moderate physical activity during a specific period of time that requires an additional effort from the cardiovascular system—that is, heart and lungs—in order to increase the transport of oxygen to the muscles. Aerobic exercise is aimed at improving cardiovascular conditioning and lung function. Since its early days as a dance and exercise routine, aerobics has fueled a multibillion dollar industry and become a vital part of American culture.
Brief History
In biology, the word "aerobic" is used to describe organisms that need oxygen to live. Aerobics exercises, then, stimulate breathing are are designed to improve how the body oxygenates. Aerobics as an exercise discipline began in the postwar years of the twentieth century, when a medical doctor and former military officer, Kenneth H. Cooper, authored the book Aerobics (1968). Cooper was already a respected exercise expert because of the studies he performed with the military. He worked not only to improve the physical condition of American soldiers but also to identify their individual limitations.
Cooper soon became known beyond military circles, as he expanded his research to better understand the benefits of intense physical activity called "cardiovascular workout." His research explored not only physical benefits, but also mental benefits. He continued to publish books on his findings, but it wasn’t until 1982 that he could actually put into practice the overall techniques described in his work. In the beginning, however, aerobics lacked widespread acceptance. Some of the obstacles it faced in order to become universally popular were lack of adequate spaces to practice it and the tedium of repetitive exercise.
Cooper’s first book has sold about 30 million copies worldwide. Nevertheless, the books and workout videos produced by actor Jane Fonda turned aerobics into an unprecedented mass phenomenon. By the 1990s, advances in the fields of biomechanics and physiology brought radical changes to the field of aerobics. These studies reduced the incidence of injuries incurred in doing aerobic exercise and helped increase the benefits to the body.
The addition of music, dance elements, and attractive gear made aerobic exercise more appealing and played a fundamental role in its widespread popularity. Other cardiovascular exercises were added to enhance aerobics, including boxing, martial arts, water exercises, and bicycling. Technology expanded apace, and gadgets meant to measure factors such as cardiovascular workout and calorie loss entered the market. Aerobics is the most practiced exercise worldwide.
Overview
What made aerobics different from other exercise routines, such as calisthenics, is the link to dance music. This novelty and the fact that it is usually practiced in groups increased its popularity. Eventually aerobics became a common household experience, as routines recorded on videocassettes by experts and celebrities, especially Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons, could be played at home. In time, fitness programs became incorporated into many workplaces.
Another factor that popularized aerobics is that practically everybody can practice some type of aerobics without being an athlete. A typical aerobics routine consists of warming and stretching exercises for about 20 to 30 minutes, to raise the cardiac rate to its target level. The appropriate level depends upon age and health conditions. Exercise intensity then decreases. Some exercise programs include a strength sequence for body-sculpting purposes. Merging aerobics with elements of other dance forms or sports has become commonplace, producing jazzercise, zumba, spinning, kickboxing, and many others.
Many social forces came together that helped spread the popularity of fitness by way of aerobic exercise. These included science, such as the studies on the health benefits of fitness, as well as government incentives, commercial interests, and national culture. In the United States, the cultivation of health and fitness had long been a cultural factor. The benefits of a healthy lifestyle had been touted by experts and popular periodicals since the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, prior to World War II, to be overly concerned with physical prowess and health was considered strange.
Decades prior to the success of aerobics trailblazer Jane Fonda, strongman Charles Atlas (1892–1972) and exercise guru Jack LaLanne (1914–2011) ran extremely successful marketing campaigns touting the benefits of proper nutrition and exercise. In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower created the President’s Council on Youth Fitness, with the main objective of raising public awareness across the nation. It developed a plan of action and a nationwide pilot program that studied the fitness level of more than eight thousand children between the ages of 5 and 12. In 1965, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, another nationwide fitness study took place with children ages 10 to 17 years of age.
These government studies highlighted a concern, specific to the Cold War period, with the health and fitness of the young. They heralded not only the eventual popularity of aerobics, but also of other new fitness sports such as jogging, which became a craze in the 1970s. Jogging, however, is a mostly solitary sport, and in the 1980s, a preference for the shared experience of health clubs and gyms prevailed.
In the second decade of the twenty-first century, the revenues from the health and fitness industry reached about $33 billion a year, and with continued expectations for growth. Approximately 45 million Americans spend money on exercise technology and gear, club memberships, and myriad other products related to fitness. The expense and other social factors associated with exercise programs, have been cited as cause for exclusion. According to many social scientists, fitness has become a vital part of American identity, raising questions about who gets left behind from participation in it and why. The fact that there are many who cannot afford gym memberships and gear suggests a link between fitness and issues of social class.
Bibliography
Bishop, Jan Galen. Fitness through Aerobics. San Francisco: Cummings, 2013. Print.
Black, Jonathan. Making the American Body: The Remarkable Saga of the Men and Women Whose Feats, Feuds, and Passions Shaped Fitness History. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 2013. Print.
Cooper, Kenneth H. Aerobics Program for Total Well-Being: Exercise, Diet and Emotional Balance. New York: Bantam, 2013. Print.
---. Cooper, Kenneth H. Regaining the Power of Youth at Any Age: Startling New Evidence from the Doctor Who Brought Us Aerobics, Controlling Cholesterol, and the Antioxidant Revolution. Nashville: Nelson, 2005. Print.
Ehrman, Jonathan, Paul Gordon, Paul Visich, and Steven Keteyian. Clinical Exercise Physiology, 3rd ed. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2013. Print.
Malcolm, Dominic. The Sage Dictionary of Sports Studies. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2008. Print.
McKenzie, Shelley. Getting Physical: The Rise of Fitness Culture in America. Lawrence: UP of Kansas, 2013. Print.
Zoumbaris, Sharon K., ed. Encyclopedia of Wellness. Santa Barbara: Greenwood, 2012. Print.