A step aerobic workout is surefire way to get your heart pumping, your body jumping and, if you don't watch your step, a surefire way to get injured. Step aerobics have taken second place on the list of group exercises that cause the most injuries, according to "American Fitness" --- thanks to faster music, increased competition, a decline in safety and instruction standards and, yes, an overall increase in the complexity of the steps.
What They Do
As with any aerobic exercise, the main goal of step aerobic movements is to keep your heart rate elevated and your body moving. Step aerobic movements achieve this goal by moving your body while moving you up, down and around the step, or bench, used in your routine, usually plastic and rubberized units supplied by the gym or class. Step aerobic movements work your legs and arms, as arm movements increase your heart in general and the workout's intensity by up to 12 percent. The full-body, cardiovascular workout also works to sharpen your mind since you need to be on the ball to learn and keep up with the different movements when choreographed together. They are also subject to enormous variations and combinations as prescribed by your aerobic instructor.
The Basic Ones
While the sheer volume of step aerobic movements can seem a bit daunting, don't fret. Start simple by getting the basic step down and build on it as you move along. The basic step consists of stepping up on the platform, leading with either your left or right foot, and then stepping down from the platform, leading with the same foot you used to step up. Thus a basic right step would lead with your foot and a basic left with lead with your left. Other step movements are just as straightforward, like the alternating basic step, which simply includes tapping the second foot before stepping up to follow the first foot, and the knee lift, which includes lifting one of your knees. Other straightforward steps include kicks, side lifts and lunges.
The Wacky Ones
Similar to yoga poses, some step aerobic movements have straightforward names while others seem to have been named by someone with a somewhat strange view of the world. Anyone familiar with yoga's cow face pose, which hardly resembles a cow, or at least no cow found in the Western Hemisphere, will understand this concept. Some of the more interesting aerobic step movement names include the rocking horse, the revolving door and the mambo cha-cha-cha. To be fair, even some of the wackier names are descriptive. The rocking horse rocks your body with knee lifts and hamstring curls, and the revolving door brings you in a complete circle around your bench. The mambo cha-cha-cha, of course, is a combination the mambo and cha-cha-cha moves. If you take up step aerobics, you'll soon learn those two fast-paced dance moves.
Tips
Seeing the steps in action is a much easier way to learn them than reading about them, especially reading about them sans diagrams. Steps that sound wholly complicated are much simpler when illustrated on video or by an instructor. Don't be afraid to ask for instruction and don't be shy about asking the leader to slow down. As the "American Fitness" article notes, the average beats per minute of step music, that was once around 120 bpm, has soared to 145 bpm and higher. Don't be intimidated by what the article calls "cardio divas," either. These divas are often at the front of the class complaining the routine is not complex or interesting enough to fit their advanced workout. Don't even try to keep up if you don't know the moves. It's vital to watch your step --- and know your steps --- to avoid injury.
References
- Aerobics Dictionary: Turnstep Dictionary of Moves
- Health and Fitness: Step Aerobic Terms and Choreography by Lisa Balbach, Certified ACE Aerobic Instructor since 1990
- American Fitness Article at CBS Money Watch: 10 Steps to Better Stepping --- Safety Tips for Step Exercising
- Health Linters: Yoga: Gomukhasana: Cow Face Pose
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