Aerobics

Aerobic, 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 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. Aerobic exercises, then, stimulate breathing and are designed to improve how the body oxygenates. Aerobic exercise as a 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 put into practice the overall techniques described in his work. In the beginning, however, aerobics lacked widespread acceptance. Some of the obstacles it faced to become universally popular were a lack of adequate spaces to practice it and the tedium of repetitive exercise.

Cooper’s first book has sold about thirty 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. Aerobic exercise is widely recommended for cardiovascular health.

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 twenty to thirty 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. This 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 (US), the cultivation of health and fitness has long been a cultural factor. The benefits of a healthy lifestyle have 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. In 1957, 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 five and twelve. In 1965, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, another nationwide fitness study took place with children aged ten to seventeen years.

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 third decade of the twenty-first century, market analysts estimated that the global health and fitness club market exceeded $120 billion USD in 2024, with continued expectations for growth. It was estimated that 63 percent of Americans have health or fitness goals and that 71 percent of those people 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 causes 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.

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