Fitness
Fitness Trends Over the Decades BY TRACE FERGUSON
Fitness is constantly evolving. Over the past 80 years, we have gone through a variety of fitness phases, some of which laid the foundation for modern-day exercise routines. Let’s take a walk through some of the most popular workout trends of the past eight decades!
1990s — Tae Bo
Karate master Billy Banks took over the fitness world in the ’90s. He created Tae Bo, a highintensity cardio workout that combines martial arts, boxing, dancing and hip-hop beats. At the height of its popularity, over 500 million Tae Bo videos were sold.
1940s — Stretching
Exercise for women in the 1940s was characterized by stretching. Jumping jacks were adopted by the U.S. army because of the low level of fitness amongst drafted soldiers, sparking this exercise to become popular among men. Jumping jacks and toe-stretches were thought to keep bodies toned and in shape.
1980s — Aerobics
Aerobics sprung up as a spinoff of Jazzercise. While the two exercises are similar, aerobics is less of a dance routine than Jazzercise. It was originally invented in the ‘60s, but it was not put on the map until Jane Fonda came out with a book and aerobics workout tapes. The dance moves used were mixed in with fitness movements, like elevating knees or marching in place. Aerobics became a workout empire and inspired many different spinoffs, such as water aerobics and step aerobics.
1990s — Spinning
Johnny Goldberg was a cyclist and personal trainer from South Africa who moved to the United States. One night, he was riding his bike and almost got hit by a passing car. From this scare, he got the idea to move cycling indoors. Goldberg began teaching spinning classes in 1990 and it was the beginning of a workout revolution. With the addition of upbeat music, Soul Cycle was born. Fast forward to modern day where spinning classes can be found at almost every gym.
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2000s — Zumba
Building on past danceinspired workouts, Zumba emerged as a Latin-inspired workout. This fitness style mixes salsa, tango, bachata and flamenco dance styles to upbeat Latin or pop music. Zumba classes can be found in most gyms, and the exercise is popular in 180 countries worldwide.