aerobics
Aerobics is dynamic group fitness training with rhythmic movements to motivating music. The basic elements are mainly (aerobic) endurance and coordination . The exercises put together in a choreography and presented by an aerobic trainer are a mixture of classical gymnastics and dance .
history
The origins go back to the American doctor Kenneth H. Cooper , who first developed aerobic training to strengthen the heart and lungs in the 1960s . Cooper triggered a fitness boom in America, as a result of which endurance training was integrated into exercise programs.
The global breakthrough came in 1982 when Jane Fonda marketed aerobics as her gymnastics principle, making aerobics particularly popular with younger women. Even Sydne Rome contributed greatly to the success of the aerobics wave. In Germany, ZDF began broadcasting the aerobics program Enorm from 1983 onwards .
In the GDR , aerobics became popular as pop gymnastics through the television program Medicine According to Notes : In a gym - underlined by Western pop music - exercises were demonstrated that the bystanders and viewers were supposed to imitate at home.
In 1988 there was increasing discussion about the harmfulness of aerobics. After the boom in aerobics, the weight was increasingly placed on medical and sports science aspects, in particular on the joint-friendly execution. Since then, aerobics has developed further, especially in Europe, where a pronounced aerobics scene has established itself, and contains more dance elements at an advanced level.
Based on the original aerobics, other forms of this group training have developed, each with its own focus and training goals:
- Aerodance : An aerobic form at an advanced level with traditional steps and dance elements from jazz and funk
- Step aerobics: aerobics using a platform on which the exercises are performed
- Zumba is the registered brand name for a fitness concept that was created by the dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia in the 1990s. Zumba combines aerobics with Latin American and international dances.
- Tae Bo : A connection between dynamic martial arts and aerobic elements
- Body toning : strengthening exercises with various aids
- Bodypump : An intensive strengthening workout with barbells
- Body Balance : A modern mix of yoga , pilates and tai chi
Methodology and didactics in aerobics lessons
Aerobic trainers use communication techniques, cueing , that are common in the scene to control the participants . Cueing is understood to mean verbal and non-verbal instructions that are used to convey the planned content to the participants in sync with the music. There are internationally standardized cues ; the aerobics terminology is mostly English. Optimal cueing is timed so that the participants know what to do and when. This includes:
- standardized gestures
- Announcements
- Show directions and rotations
- Facial expressions, body language
- Communication with the group
In addition, techniques are used to methodically build up choreographic goals (breakdown) in harmony with the music used:
Aerobics can convey simple movements in an “unchoreographic” way. Depending on the performance level of the target group, complicated movement patterns with varying spatial paths and rotations are also possible. The correct use of these methods places very high demands on the trainer, because the implementation takes place:
- without pause, synchronized with the music or in the music sheet (see below)
- with simultaneous or timely cueing
- with parallel error perception and correction
- with constant communication and motivation of the group
Music theory, music tempo
The music tempo depends on the target group and the lesson content. As a rule, this increases continuously from the beginning of the lesson and then slows down again towards the end. The unit of measurement for music tempo is bpm ("beats per minute"), ie the number of "beats per minute". While music that is too fast can be at the expense of technology, music that is too slow results in insufficient movement.
| Terms in music theory | |
|---|---|
| Beat | "Beat", the accent in music with which we involuntarily "rock" |
| Tact | four beats (corresponds to a 4/4 time signature) |
| phrase | eight beats (i.e. two 4/4 measures) |
| Music bow | four phrases (= 32 beats) |
| the one" | the first beat of a phrase |
| the "big one" | the first beat of a musical arc |
The standard movement patterns are kept in such a way that a meaningful stringing together within the music is possible. Well-taught movement patterns move harmoniously within the phrases or musical arc. A complete choreography can be taught without interrupting the flow of movement. If newly introduced movements or choreography parts are introduced synchronously with a "big one", this has a particularly harmonious and motivating effect. This means that not all music can be used sensibly, as the “32-beat structure” must be guaranteed from beginning to end. Correspondingly structured music is available from specialist retailers for a full hour, usually with an indication of the tempo.
Cross phrasing
Classical aerobic choreography usually emphasizes every "one" of a phrase or even a bar. For advanced courses or experienced instructors, however, it is possible to put emphasis on a different beat, so-called cross phrasing , or to use larger musical phrases. One can differentiate between two possible forms of cross phrasing:
- Passive cross phrasing : Cross phrasing is achieved by taking a step at half the tempo so that the following steps are passively shifted in time.
- Active cross phrasing : The choreography is deliberately designed in such a way that by incorporating step sequences that do not go over four or eight beats, the remaining steps no longer follow the musical structure.
Load variants
In general, a distinction is made between two load variants for the step pattern:
- Low-Impact (English for "low stress"): Step pattern in which one foot always maintains contact with the ground. Pure low-impact hours can also appeal to special target groups (overweight people, people with back problems, etc.) due to the relatively low exposure.
- High-Impact : Step pattern in which both feet lose contact with the ground for a short time. Pure high-impact hours cannot be found in practice due to the high level of stress.
If both step types occur in one hour, one speaks of "mixed impact". In all steps (whether low or high impact) the foot must always roll completely and briefly have complete contact with the ground.
Schedule
Classically, an aerobics class consists of four phases:
- Warm-up - warming up and, if necessary, pre- stretching (pre-stretch)
- Cardio part - cardiovascular workout , fat burning
- Cooldown I - cool down
- Cooldown II - stretch and relax
The length of the phases is usually based on the total duration of the training unit. Lessons can have different focuses depending on the objective. For example, the workout can be omitted in favor of the cardio part, or vice versa.
Aerobics is also practiced as a competitive sport ( sports aerobics ).
