Aerobics is a form of physical exercise

Physical exercise

Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...

 that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...

 with stretching

Stretching

Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific skeletal muscle is deliberately elongated, often by abduction from the torso, in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility and...

 and strength training

Strength training

Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...

 routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility

Flexibility (anatomy)

Flexibility or limberness refers to the absolute range of movement in a joint or series of joints, and length in muscles that cross the joints. Flexibility is variable between individuals, particularly in terms of differences in muscle length of multi-joint muscles...

, muscular

Muscle

Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...

 strength, and cardio-vascular

Circulatory system

The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...

 fitness). It is usually performed to music and may be practiced in a group setting led by an instructor

Teacher

A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...

 (fitness professional

Fitness professional

A fitness professional is a professional in the field of fitness and exercise, most often instruction , including aerobics and yoga instructors and authors of fitness instruction books or manuals. Fitness topics may also include nutrition, weight-loss, and self-help...

), although it can be done solo and without musical accompaniment. With the goal of preventing illness and promoting physical fitness

Physical fitness

Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...

, practitioners perform various routines comprising a number of different dance-like exercises. Formal aerobics classes are divided into different levels of intensity and complexity. Aerobics classes may allow participants to select their level of participation according to their fitness level. Many gyms offer a variety of aerobic classes. Each class is designed for a certain level of experience and taught by a certified instructor with a specialty area related to their particular class.

History

Both the term and the specific exercise method were developed by Dr. Kenneth Cooper

Kenneth H. Cooper

Kenneth H. Cooper is an doctor of medicine and former Air Force Colonel from Oklahoma, who introduced the concept of aerobics. He is the author of the 1968 book Aerobics, which emphasized a point system for improving the cardiovascular system...

, M.D., an exercise physiologist, and Col. Pauline Potts, a physical therapist, both of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

. Dr. Cooper, an avowed exercise enthusiast, was personally and professionally puzzled about why some people with excellent muscular strength were still prone to poor performance at tasks such as long-distance running, swimming, and bicycling. He began measuring systematic human performance using a bicycle ergometer, and began measuring sustained performance in terms of a person's ability to use oxygen. His groundbreaking book, Aerobics, was published in 1968, and included scientific exercise programs using running, walking, swimming and bicycling. The book came at a fortuitous historical moment, when increasing weakness and inactivity in the general population was causing a perceived need for increased exercise.

Aerobic gymnastics

Aerobic gymnastics, also known as sport aerobics

Sport Aerobics

Sport aerobics, officially called aerobic gymnastics, is the ability to perform continuously complex and high-intensity movement patterns to music—which originates from traditional aerobics—with a high degree of perfectly executed elements of difficulty. The routine must demonstrate...

 and competitive aerobics, is a type of competitive aerobics involving complicated choreography

Choreography

Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...

, rhythmic

Rhythmic gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams of competitors manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: rope, clubs, hoop, ball, ribbon and Free . An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time...

 and acrobatic gymnastics

Acrobatic gymnastics

Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive partner sport combining the strength, flexibility and technical precision of gymnastics with the grace and musicality of dance as well as the trust and camaraderie of a dedicated partnership...

 with elements of aerobics. Performance is divided into categories by age, sex and groups (individual, mixed pairs and trios) and are judged on the following elements: dynamic and static strength, jumps and leaps, kicks, balance and flexibility. Ten exercises are mandatory: four consecutive high leg kicks, patterns. A maximum of ten elements from following families are allowed: push-ups, supports and balances, kicks and splits, jumps and leaps. Elements of tumbling

Tumbling (gymnastics)

In gymnastics, tumbling, also known as power tumbling is an acrobatic sporting discipline which combines some of the skills of artistic gymnastics on the floor with those of trampolining. It is practised on a 25 metre long spring track...

 such as handsprings

Handspring (gymnastics)

A handspring is an acrobatic move in which a person executes a complete revolution of the body by lunging headfirst from an upright position into a handstand and then pushing off from the floor with the hands so as to leap back to an upright position. Handsprings are performed in various physical...

, handstand

Handstand

A handstand is the act of supporting the body in a stable, inverted vertical position by balancing on the hands. In a basic handstand the body is held straight with arms and legs fully extended, with hands spaced approximately shoulder-width apart...

s, back flips

Flip (acrobatic)

An acrobatic flip is a sequence of body movements in which a person leaps into the air and then rotates one or more times while airborne. Acrobatic flips are performed in acro dance, free running, gymnastics, tricking, and various other activities...

, and aerial somersault

Somersault

A somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which a person does a full 360° flip, moving the feet over the head. A somersault can be performed either forwards, backwards, or sideways and can be executed in the air or on the ground...

s are prohibited. Scoring is by judging of artistic quality, creativity, execution, and difficulty of routines. Sport aerobics has state, national, and international competitions, but is not an Olympic sport.

See also

• Freestyle aerobics
  Freestyle Aerobics
  Freestyle aerobics is an aerobics style in which a group instructor choreographs several short dance combinations and teaches them to the class. This is usually achieved by teaching the class 1-2 movements at a time and repeating the movements until the class is able to join the whole choreography...
  
  
• Step aerobics
  Step aerobics
  Step aerobics is distinguished from other forms of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform . The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step...
  
  
• Sport aerobics
  Sport Aerobics
  Sport aerobics, officially called aerobic gymnastics, is the ability to perform continuously complex and high-intensity movement patterns to music—which originates from traditional aerobics—with a high degree of perfectly executed elements of difficulty. The routine must demonstrate...
  
  
• Water aerobics
  Water aerobics
  Water aerobics or "waterobics" is the performance of aerobic exercise in shallow water such as a swimming pool. In some areas it is known as AquaFit or "aqua aerobics", and is a type of resistance training.-Benefits:...
  
  
• Yoga postures