| Don't you remember, it was the 80s and lots of people | | | | blood cells in the body. Regular aerobics can also help |
| were doing it. Even those that weren't doing it, were | | | | reduce cardiovascular problems.The 1980s saw the |
| talking about doing it. There were shows all over | | | | television air waves and media in general flock to the |
| television. These people were standing in formation, | | | | aerobic craze. Hollywood stars were knocking each |
| wearing leotards and leg warmers. They were doing | | | | other over, in their quest to be the next star with an |
| what looked like exercise, but this wasn't called | | | | aerobic video on the market. Funny thing is, none of |
| exercise, it was called aerobics. It looked like a | | | | these stars were widely known in the exercise |
| combination of dance and exercise. But what was this | | | | industry, until aerobics came around. I guess that |
| new form of sweating?The age of aerobics can be | | | | maybe the inside joke of the aerobics era was that so |
| credited to Dr. Kenneth Cooper. Dr. Cooper was an | | | | many people purchased videos from people who |
| exercise physiologist for the US Air Force and he | | | | weren't even experts in the field of aerobics. Maybe |
| couldn't understand how some people, who seemed in | | | | that's what star power is all about, being able to sell a |
| great physical condition, were not able to perform at a | | | | product that you have very little knowledge of.Even |
| high level when they were swimming, long distance | | | | though aerobics was an overwhelming success, it had |
| running and bicycling. He began testing people's | | | | its doubters. Many felt that aerobics wasn't a balanced |
| performance, using a bicycle ergometer and focusing | | | | exercise program. This was mainly due to the fact |
| on the human body's ability to utilize oxygen. In 1969, Dr. | | | | that aerobics didn't require the use of weights. Light |
| Cooper published a book called Aerobics, which | | | | weights could be added to the aerobic exercise, but |
| documented what he had learned through his | | | | not the kind that would build muscle strength. Many |
| testing.The word aerobic means, with oxygen. | | | | people saw this as a flaw in the aerobic program. The |
| Aerobics are supposed to increase the amount of | | | | problem with this specific complaint is that Dr. Cooper |
| oxygen in the blood and then have this blood flow to | | | | never set out to build up the body mass of the |
| the muscles. Aerobic exercise can produce many | | | | individual. His main concern was to see if the body |
| benefits; it burns calories and increases the body's | | | | could perform at a higher level, by increasing its |
| metabolism, both of which help in losing weight. Those | | | | oxygen intake.The 90s saw a decrease in the star |
| people that went through Dr. Cooper's testing, | | | | power of aerobics and brought more professionalism |
| discovered even more benefits of aerobic exercise. | | | | to the industry. Organizations like Aerobics and Fitness |
| These included; toning muscles all over the body, | | | | Association of America created certification programs |
| making the heart muscle stronger, improving the | | | | for instructors. Aerobic athletes also competed in |
| respiratory muscles and increasing the number of red | | | | national and international competitions. |