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The decades of exercise
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The '70s not only brought microwave dinners, free love and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s acting debut, but also what some consider the American fitness movement. Americans learned that daily exercise was a major component of health during the 1970s, but as awareness of fitness grew, the role of exercise in American lives expanded beyond health concerns and encompassed recreational pastimes. As new forms of exercise were created, fitness became a full-fledged lifestyle as Americans gave new meaning to "working out."
As the decade rolled into the '80s, so did leg warmers, head bands and aerobics. The term “Aerobics,” from the word Aerobic, means "with oxygen" and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process. Doctors and scientists discovered that this designated use of oxygen to generate energy in the body, while increasing the heart rate and blood circulation, proved to burn fat, decrease body mass, and increase the feasibility of fitting into a Flash Dance leotard.This new form of exercise found its way into gyms, dance studios, and home VHS players, and the “Let’s Get Physical” phenomenon was born.
Around the same time, Judi Sheppard Missett developed a jazz infused aerobics hybrid appropriately named Jazzercize. By 1983, Jazzercise franchises had spread to all 50 states. Jazzercise instructors performed in the opening ceremony for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and Missett herself ran in the relay to bring the Olympic torch to the city. When the entertainment company MCA put out a Jazzercise workout video in 1984, it went gold, selling over 25,000 copies. Fitness had become something of a national obsession. Aerobics classes of all kinds were popular, and actress Jane Fonda also had a huge following for her fitness videos.
As young adults around the country became more and more focused on decreasing their daily caloric intake, and increasing their cardiovascular activity, one individual began to reach out to obese Americas in ways no one had approached before. In 1988 Richard Simmons brought his tiny shorts into our living rooms, and revolutionized the fitness world by sweatin’ to the oldies, a breakthrough workout video and style that got people up out of their chairs, and dancing to classics most grew up with.
Through the '90s walking began to gain momentum as a safe and effective cardiovascular and muscle gaining exercise. In the 2000s, spin classes, yoga, Pilates and circuit training were touted as the most effective way to get in shape.
So in 2009, quickly approaching 2010, what is the hottest way to look hot? As with everything in the U.S recently, the economy has taken a toll on people’s workout habits and capabilities, so not only are people focused on getting thin, they are also focused on getting a lot with a thin wallet. This means boot camps, group classes that aim to strengthen large muscle groups with push-ups, squats, and lunges that can burn up to 600 calories during one session. Also designer works outs such as yoga and spin integrated into a grueling one hour calorie burning fiesta, and Pilates/yoga/weight training classes all wrapped into one trendy little package. Not sure where to go to get the most burn for your buck?
1. Core Power Yoga (Multiple Denver Metro area locations)
Core Power Yoga not only offers hot yoga classes for beginning, intermediate and advanced yogis, but also their patented butt kicking, sweat inducing, air gasping yoga sculpt. The yoga sculpt classes incorporate hot yoga, aerobics, weight training, and cardiovascular exercise all in one hour. The workouts will burn about 600-800 calories in one hour, and new students to the studio get one week free yoga, including the sculpt classes. A drop in costs $17.00 and membership specials are available. Corepoweryoga.com.
2. Red Rocks Fitness (Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison Colorado)
Red Rocks fitness is a challenging program offered at Red Rocks Amphitheatre during the summer months at no charge. Workouts can last up to four hours, and incorporate everything from running the bleachers, lunging the bleachers, pushups, sit ups, squats, pulls ups, chin ups, sprints and everything you can think of to exercise every single part of your body in just one Saturday morning. http://www.redrocksfitness.com.
3. Breathe- Yoga Spin Studio (2700 Arapahoe, Denver Colorado)
Breathe studio offers Ashtanga yoga, candlelight flow, hatha, hatha flow, hoop dance, integral, rocket, spinfit, vinyasa yoga and yoga cycle to cater to its fitness seekers. Some of the more popular classes are split between half an hour of intense cardio and core focused yoga, followed by an extreme spin class for the remaining half an hour. This mixture of balance, core strength, and cardiovascular strength can burn up to 700-800 calories in one powerful hour. 10 class packs are available for $100.00, 5 class packs for $60.00 and drop-ins for $14.00. Check the website for weekly schedule and instructors. http://breathedenver.com.
4. 24 Hour Fitness BodyPump and BodyFlow classes (Multiple Denver Metro area locations)
BodyPump and BodyFlow classes incorporate squats, presses, lifts, curls, yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi into 60 minutes of calorie burning bliss choreographed to upbeat music with motivating and knowledgeable instructors. These classes shape and tone muscles, increase bone density, and burn hundreds of calories per class. Must be a member, membership pricing varies. 24hourfitness.com.
5. Qi Athletic Club & Kinesis Studio (Multiple Denver Metro area locations)
Spin-Sculpt classes take your ride and your yoga practice to the next level. These cardio and weight training intense classes will deepen flexibility, promote mind body connection, increase strength, power, energy, and endurance. It is a total mind-body workout that will burn upwards of 700 calories in an hour. Call or check the website for packages. http://www.qidenver.com.
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