Fitness and Exercise - History of Aerobic Dance Workouts

Since 1970s, the practice of aerobics namely aerobic dance workouts have been growing worldwide. As explained in my previous hub, aerobic dance workouts and exercises help improve cardiovascular capacity by increasing the overall use of oxygen in our body and allowing the heart to work with full efficiency and capacity with less effort. These aerobic workouts that are done for exercise not only provide health benefits but provide improved overall level of consciousness and alertness, decreased stress level, increased cardiopulmonary health, intolerance against disease and infection, etc. Aerobic exercise teachers and physical trainers recommend at least 15 minutes daily of dance aerobics practice with a minimum of three times a week to get full benefits of aerobic dance workouts and to achieve a better level of fitness. Addition of favorite music like jazz, pop, hip hop, and masala bhangra music has attracted millions of people towards this beneficial workout routine. Also, aerobic gymnastics and rhythmic aerobics are famous sports all over the world. Also read:

Exercise and Fitness - Benefits of Aerobic Dance Workouts

History of Aerobic Dance

Aerobic dance is fun, easy to practice, and casual. Aerobic dance began to spread its wings in many different countries since the 70s. Thanks a lot to the contribution of some famous personalities like Sydney Rome and Jane Fonda who after discovering the fun and playfulness of aerobic dance exercise and also its extraordinary effects on the human body decided to contribute to this task of making it known worldwide. The origin of first aerobic club as we currently know dates back to 1968. In 1968, a book called "aerobics" was first published in the United States of America. The author of the book “aerobics” was Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, who was a physician of the United States Armed Forces in 1968. He outlined in his book that aerobics is a training program that he initially designed for members of the armed forces of his country which then spread and became popular in millions of people around the world. There are also some historical sources which attribute the term "aerobics" to Pasteur (France 1875).

Dr. Cooper’s aerobic program included efforts in order to increase the endurance and performance of the user, thereby reducing percentage of risk to heart diseases like cardiovascular stroke and arteriosclerosis and also respiratory diseases. In initial chapters of the book “aerobics”, Dr. Cooper has taught the virtues of aerobic exercise and the practice of physical exercise of low and medium intensity. The main objective of aerobics is the development of the cardiovascular system. He also defined in his book “aerobics” that aerobic training is a physical activity that can be done for prolonged period of time and is helpful in maintaining the balance between supply and consumption of oxygen if done in that manner. Oxygen is our body’s need for energy production.

In 1969, Jackie Sorensen of Jacki Sorensen's Aerobic Programs proposed to Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper the possibility of using aerobic dance and aerobic gymnastics training method with music for the wives of American military base in Puerto Rico compared to the traditional gym for fitness needs.

Following the initial overwhelming success of "aerobics", Kenneth published in the 1970s a second treaty on the aerobic adaptations for people over 35 years entitled "The new aerobics" and a third adapted, especially for women entitled "aerobics for Women".

Jackie Sorensen founded that year in New Jersey on "Dancing Club Inc." which was the first club where dance aerobic classes were offered to the general public.

Today, aerobic dance has millions of fans around the world. In 1988, the "Aerobic Dance." was the third most popular sports in the U.S. moving into second place a year later. Carmen Electra is a famous Hollywood personality who created interest in strip aerobics teaching aerobic beginners on how to perform aerobic workouts, also in bed. It was on 17^th of October 2003 when Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease was released and it became a super hit. Since then, aerobic striptease has become a part of aerobic dance including step aerobics, jazzercise, etc.

It was on 10^th of June 2000 when the first Punjabi Indian dance inspired fitness video got released. The release of Masala Bhangra Workout Volume I led to a significant change in the style of aerobic dance.

The aerobic steps combined with Masala Bhangra beats were found to be much more fun and interesting.

After that, there was a sudden release of several workout music DVDs including fun dance 2 aerobics music, top ten radio step music, striptease dance party, radio hits cardio 2008, step top 40 2009 hits, radio robics 11, hot pinks, and many more.