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The History of Aerobics
Aerobics is
a fairly new form of exercise. It was Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, an exercise
physiologist for the San Antonio Air Force Hospital, Texas, who coined
the term 'aerobics' to describe the system of exercise that he devised
to help prevent coronary artery disease. Dr. Cooper originally
formulated aerobic exercises specifically for astronauts, but soon
realized that the same set of exercises are useful for the general
public as well, especially those suffering from obesity, who are more
likely to develop various heart diseases. He put together all of the
aspects and methods he founded in his book Aerobics, which hit
bookshelves across the United States in 1968. In a matter of months, the
book became a bit hit amongst the fitness-minded American public, and
its sales quickly crossed the million dollar mark, a feat that
non-fiction or non-novel publications rarely achieved at that time.
Expert
analysts attributed the huge popularity that Aerobics received in
sales, to the growing realization amongst the American public regarding
the importance of being fit. The percentage of fit Americans had been in
a downslide as the average man and woman had begun to live a sedentary
lifestyle, seeking solace in the many comforts that advancements in
technology offered in the post WWII years. Many were desperate to shed
their idling lifestyles, and the timing of Aerobics to hit
bookstands could not have been any better. The new book, explaining a
number of scientific exercise programs that use walking, jogging,
bicycling, and swimming in a constructive way, was not only easy for the
public to follow, but was also found to be very effective in boosting
overall fitness levels, and there began the revolution – an exercise
form that was to take the fitness world by storm.
Aerobic
exercises evolved continuously during the next two or three decades.
Dance aerobics, water aerobics, step aerobics, all were the products of
that period. Even Dr. Cooper himself would not have thought at that time
that his brainchild would one day achieve such diversity and
unparalleled levels of popularity in the world. Now, it is believed that
there are more than one billion aerobic followers around the globe, more
than half of whom reside in the North American continent alone.
Aerobics,
like many other exercise and diet forms, has not had a smooth transition
into the fitness schedules of people without its share of complaints and
criticisms. The foremost amongst the negative arguments raised against
aerobics was that it is not a complete exercise form, and hence not
suitable for athletes and combat services, as Dr. Cooper claimed when he
formulated aerobics in its original form. Certain critics complained
about how aerobics could injure a person in the long run, and how
aerobics is ineffective in reducing obesity. But, when juxtaposed with a
sedentary lifestyle, the positives of aerobics far outweigh the
negatives and soon fitness experts started to promote aerobic exercise
as a major item in their workout schedules. Also, its effectiveness when
combined with other workouts drew more people into trying out the new
workout. Unable to raise any creative debate on the topic further, the
last bits of criticism on aerobics soon died down, never to stick its
neck out again.
These days,
however, in most fitness centers across the country, one may not be able
to find the original aerobics that Dr. Cooper invented. Instead, it is
the more evolved versions of aerobics, the ones mentioned already along
with the much popular Jazzercise, a combination of aerobics and Jazz
music, Nia Technique, and Cardio-Kickboxing, that mostly dominates the
daily schedules of fitness clubs. While at the gym, perusing the cardio
classes that are offered, if you find something different, that you've
never heard of before, it is most likely the invention of some forward
thinking fitness instructor, based upon the original practices of
aerobic exercise.
If you want
to know more about aerobic exercise and its sub-divisions, search the
web. You can find plenty of resources on aerobics and its variants, from
proven experts in the trade.
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