Examining Aerobics History
When it comes to aerobics history most people are generally somewhat in the dark. Part of the reason that many people cannot remember a world where aerobics was not part of the cultural landscape. However aerobics did not always have a prominent role in the mainstream of exercising. At one time, eating raw eggs and doing hundreds of push ups was the way to go. Today, there is more variety and we have the expansion of aerobics into the public conscious to thank for that.
Aerobics in the 1980's
There was an old episode of DALLAS from 1984 that depicted cast members in an aerobics studio. What was obvious about this scene is that the writers went to great lengths to describe what an aerobics studio was to the audience. After all, prior to the 1980's the general public was not entirely familiar with aerobics history. In the 1980's, there was much emphasis on fitness as the "ripped physiques" of the major action heroes of the day played a huge role in promoting fitness to the public.
For many, fitness was heavy weights but this was not entirely popular with many members of the population - particularly women as women are generally interested in dropping weight as opposed to packing on muscle mass. The 1980's were not the birth decade of aerobics history but they were definitely a major part of the growth of the popularity of aerobics.
Back in the 1960's and 1970's
Aerobics history actually started circa 1968 when a physician by the name of Kenneth Cooper devised an exercise program with the sole purpose of combating coronary heart disease. Cooper would publish a book on the subject and the book was entitled AEROBICS. This started the ball rolling and people began to take up the exercise program as a means of preventive heart maintenance.
In time, people discovered that there were a number of fat burning benefits to this form of exercise and more and more people began to take it up. The numbers grew slowly but surely and by 1978 there were 6 million plus practitioners of the new program.
By 1978, the exercise regiment had become incredibly popular and there were over 6 million people taking it up. Of course, aerobics history proves that it was the 1980's that saw the biggest spike in interest (20+ million people taking it up) and this popularity has remained with no signs of it ever abating.
