Aerobic Exercise History

Aerobic exercise or cardio training is a workout of your major muscle groups in a continuous motion for a minimum of 20 minutes. Working at a higher intensity than at rest forces your heart and lungs to work harder to provide blood and oxygen to continue the workout. Benefits include improved heart and lung circulation and breathing function, along with a reduced risk for heart problems. While strength-training has evolved over the past few centuries, the origin of aerobic exercise dates from the 1960s.

Fitness Programs

In the early 1960s, the Kennedy presidential administration began a movement to combat the affects of a sedentary lifestyle on Americans, starting with school-aged children. The President's Council on Physical Fitness started as a youth council, piloting programs and fitness tests for school-aged children.

Cooper Aerobics Institute

The term and concept of "aerobics" was introduced in 1968 by Dr. Kenneth Cooper. At 29, Cooper had a personal health crisis and realized he was overweight and inactive. He became an avid exerciser and devoted his professional life to the relationship between cardiovascular fitness, and health and longevity. He founded The Cooper Institute and wrote 18 books on health and fitness.

Aerobic Dance

Two former dancers, Jacki Sorenson and Judi Sheppard Missett, took their backgrounds in dance and combined them with cardio exercise. The result was aerobic dance, a way to obtain the benefits of cardio training while having fun. Workouts were choreographed and set to music, complete with leotards and sneakers. Missett created Jazzercise, a franchise that trained teachers and provided choreographed workouts throughout the world.

Variations of Aerobic Exercise

The running craze from the 1970s is still going strong, with numerous marathons, 5- and 10-kilometer races and triathlalons testing the limits of aerobic exercise. Group classes have evolved from simply aerobics to step aerobics, kickboxing, Zumba, boot camp and indoor cycling. Aerobic training machine options now feature treadmills, stair climbers, elliptical trainers and a variety of indoor cycling options. Despite all of the messages and options, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that only 35 percent of adults participate in an exercise program.