If aerobics instructor Gin Miller had not injured her knee in the 1980s, there's a chance that step would never have become an exercise trend. Gin's physical therapist suggested stepping up and on a milk crate as a form of physical therapy. Gin substituted her porch steps for the crate. When boredom set in, she turned on her aerobic tapes and created movement patterns. A new aerobic exercise method was born. Step enthusiasts and instructors soon saw that aerobic conditioning was just one of the many step exercise benefits.
Muscle Toning and Rehabilitation
Gin Miller's physical therapist was one of the many rehabilitation specialists that recognized the therapeutic nature of stepping up and down on a platform. The up and down movements used in step engage the hamstring, gluteal and hip muscles, and the lateral moves use the inner and outer thigh muscles. The step also doubles as a weight bench for muscle toning exercises. Remove a riser from one side to create an incline or decline bench.
Weight Bearing Exercise
Experts at the University of Arizona Bone Builders program suggest that weight-bearing exercises build stronger and denser bones and prevent osteoporosis. They recommend step aerobics as a weight-bearing activity.
Low Impact Exercise
Many weight bearing exercises are also high impact activities, which may cause problems for people with weak or injured knee joints. While there are high impact variations of step aerobics, most of its movements do not involve running or jumping.
Cardiovascular Benefits
A November 1991 "Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" article detailed the cardiovascular benefits of step aerobics. Lead author Michelle Scharff Olson found that step aerobic exercise increased oxygen consumption and proved to be beneficial for promoting weight loss.
Coordination, Rhthymicity and Proprioception
Step aerobic choreography is usually less complex than choreography used in aerobic dance classes, but the movement patterns still enhance coordination and rhythmicity. While instructors usually tell new students to look down at the step, they eventually advise them to maintain postural alignment by focusing straight ahead. This improves proprioception, which is the body's awareness of its position in space.
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