From aerobics to aerial yoga: How workout fashions have changed

Fitness, like anything else, has its own fashion trends that change over time. The popularity of certain trends changed because of the release of movies or, for example, because girls wanted to be like their idols and started doing their favorite sports. Let’s take a look back and see what types of fitness were popular before.

“Eighties”: the boom of aerobics and video workouts

The popularity of aerobics began back in the 1960s when physical therapist Kenneth Cooper published a book of the same name for military personnel. It was aimed at keeping soldiers physically fit. Then Cooper created an aerobics center for all comers. However, the peak of popularity of this direction reached in the 1980s.

Jane Fonda videotaped the workout, making aerobics accessible to everyone. On the tape were uncomplicated and dynamic exercises. Characteristic features of the classes were brightly colored tights, leotards, gaiters and headbands. Jane was even nicknamed “The Aerobics Lady” – she made such workouts a national craze.

Aerobics was also quite popular in the USSR. The workouts were recorded by Soviet ballerinas and sportswomen and broadcasted on central television.

Not only aerobics, but also regular workouts were recorded on video. Almost every supermodel released their own course. The most popular were the recordings from Cindy Crawford. Her fitness system is still relevant today, despite criticism from experts.

“Nineties”: strip dance and bodyballet.

Strip dance and strip plastics became popular thanks to Carmen Electra, the star of the TV series “Baywatch”. Her training was based on dancing: the actress’ exercises not only helped to get the body in shape, but also developed plasticity. After that, the passion for “erotic aerobics” became widespread, including in Russia.

In the 1990s bodyballet became popular. It is important not to confuse the direction with classical ballet. Bodyballet is not only a beautiful dance, but also exercises with elements of yoga, Pilates and stretching. The result of bodyballet-beautiful posture, plasticity, weight loss and muscle pumping.

“Zeros”: aqua aerobics, bodyflex and Pilates

In the 1970s and ’80s, aqua aerobics began to be used for rehabilitation after injuries. However, when Glen McWaters developed a system of training for everyone, classes in the water became very popular. In Russia, aqua aerobics became popular after the appearance of swimming pools in gyms.

Bodyflex is a combination of breathing exercises and exercises. Despite the slow pace, the load increases due to the breathing technique: inhale – through the nose, exhale – through the mouth.

Pilates combines smooth movements, concentration on the exercises and proper breathing. The founder of the direction is Joseph Pilates. He was born a sickly child and tried to improve his condition. By the age of 14, Joseph began to look like an athlete, trained independently and created his own system of training. Because of his personal success, Pilates became popular with the rest of the world. The advantage of this type of fitness is that you can work out anywhere. You don’t need any special equipment other than a mat for training.

2010s: zumba and yoga on canvases

Zumba consists of dance moves and cardio training. It was invented by Alberto Perez, when one day he forgot the music for training and decided to hold a class to his favorite tracks, diluting the exercises with dancing. His trainees liked this format of classes very much.

Yoga on canvases is quite a young trend. Its founder, Christopher Harrison, started practicing yoga and Pilates in a hammock. It turned out that it is very relaxing and relieves tension from the spine. Now aerobics is very popular, and in almost every city you can find a studio for practicing it.