Aerobics are very common place today. You hear that term thrown around on television and in the magazines. Your doctor tells you that you need to do aerobics. So what does “aerobic” mean and how did it get started?
The term “aerobic” means with air. Exercises that make you a bit breathy are aerobic exercises. That can be walking up and down your stairs or running to the street corner to pick your kids up from the bus.
The history of aerobics is quite interesting. Prior to the latter half of the twentieth century, exercise was generally only done by the upper class people. It was not until the 1950s that running for cardio-vascular endurance was understood. That is when “Nike” developed their first running shoe!
In 1968 Kenneth Cooper wrote the book, “Aerobics” then the popularity of running took off.
1969 was the birth of the commercial fitness industry. That is when I started my career in fitness. It was a much different world back then. There were no boards to certify instructors so injuries to students was a real problem. Anyone who wanted to teach just hung up their hat.
You live in an exciting time! So much has been learned about exercise. Aerobics have advanced way beyond just walking and running. There are so many choices it can get a bit confusing as to which form of aerobics are best.
The good news is that using variety in your choices for aerobic exercise is a plus. Staying with just one form can be boring and less effective than giving many different forms of aerobics a go for it.
Getting good information and working with qualified instructors is important.
To get the full benefit of aerobics requires more than just running to get your kids at the bus. You need to keep up that breathy feeling long enough for your body to go through all the wonderful processes it goes through during “aerobics” which help you become strong and healthy.