workout with the entire principle of step aerobics being that of going up and down stairs to music. The added motions of turning from side to side, hopping over the step, doing knee lifts etc add to the variation of the class and challenge accordingly. A typical one hour class will burn anything between three hundred and five hundred calories depending on your level of exertion and weight. As with dance aerobics, steps can be carried out in your own home, with the purchase of one of the many videos available. This gives you the chance to gain confidence and to see if you like this form of exercise before taking part in a class. Group classes are always worth joining at some point as they will probably challenge you more, provide the added competitive edge and also correct any moves that you may be performing incorrectly.
This type of aerobics provides the same benefits as regular aerobic exercises but has some added advantages. Due to the buoyancy of the water there is less stress and strain put on your joints and muscles. This enables people of all ages, to participate and is especially good for those recovering from injuries to ease their way back into a fitness program. You also get an all over workout with every muscle and joint in the body being tested to the full. Indeed although the water provides a cooling effect, especially useful in the heat of the summer, you will definitely work up a real disco sweat. The resistance the water provides is incredible and can soon tire even the strongest of people. It should be noted also that you do not need to know how to swim to take advantage of water aerobic classes as many centres provide buoyancy devises, which enable you to stay afloat with little effort. Another added benefit is that water aerobics enables you to burn calories much more efficiently. Consider the following calorie consumption for a half hour workout.

Land Walking: 150 calories Water Walking: 280 calories Jogging : 250 calories Water jogging: 360 calories

If all of those advantages aren't enough to encourage you to take the plunge then think of the chance once again to don that sexy swimwear that you thought had been put away after the summer holiday. And after the price you paid for it, it is just as well.
The benefits of any aerobics class are numerous and include, strengthened heart and lungs, reduced cholesterol levels, increase in cardio endurance, reduction of anxiety and stress and a move, step 01 splash in the right direction of a new healthier you. Go get moving to a rhythmic beat! As with any exercise program you should check with your doctor before starting an aerobics program.

Josh Rafter, no stranger to a spot of podium dancing himself, jumps to the beat with the best aerobic and dance exercises

When most people think of the term aerobics they imagine of a sea of women wearing spandex and leg warmers and moving their bodies to co-ordinated moves in time to disco style music. This is most probably due to the arrival of aerobic dancing in the 1960's, which later exploded in the 1980's with an abundance of cheesy work out videos. Every video would have a "celebrity" wearing an incredible energetic and bright toothy smile who would lead you though an hours worth of excruciatingly funny movements. Just think Jane Fonda and you are on to it. However the actual word Aerobic means "with oxygen". Aerobic exercise is any activity that involves the use of a large muscle group that is sustained continuously for a long period of time and is rhythmic. Aerobic activity trains the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to every part of the body. As fitness levels increase, the heart muscle becomes stronger and more efficient with larger amounts of biood being pumped with each stroke. Fewer stokes are therefore required to rapidly transport oxygen to all parts of the body.
Aerobic activities include basketball, boxing, dancing, walking, jogging, canoeing, cycling, judo, climbing, rowing, skateboarding, skiing, swimming, squash, water skiing, roller skating and generally any activity that raises the intake and use of oxygen. So even all you square

dancers are performing a fitness busting aerobic exercise. We are in this instance, though, to cover the more infamous of aerobic exercises, those mostly based around the soul moving, foot taping effects of music. A fitness piece for all you dancing queens!

Dance Aerobics

As already mentioned these classes blossomed with the burst of the dance video phenomena and although we may look back in disdain at these somewhat corny productions, they did contribute to being the driving force behind the massive growth of the fitness industry. This led to the emergence of the modern health club, as we know it today. Today it is estimated that more than twenty five million people participate in dance aerobics. And the classes that were once mostly confined to young women have now become a sport for both sexes and all ages. Most health clubs offer a range of dance aerobic classes with everything from Latin and Hip-hop through to Funk, Jazz and Punk! There are even now pole dancing aerobic classes at your more adventurous (usually major city) centres! So if you have ever fancied getting down and groovy round a pole, this is the one for you. A typical "aerobics" class starts with a warm up phase which uses movements of low to moderate speed and range of motion. This promotes body awareness, raises the body temperature and increases the blood flow to the muscles. Warmed muscles are much less likely to be prone to injury, a warning to all you eager beavers who jump onto machines without first warming upl This is followed by thirty to forty minutes of a more intensive workout whereby ensuring the target heart rate is reached (this depends of the level of the class). After working at this "peak" the class is taken back down to slower, more controlled movements so as to reduce the heart beat and regulate breathing. As with all exercise, the session is finished with stretching. A good aerobic dance class will make you feel energized and upbeat and satisfied that you have just given as good as you get on a party night out. Those early videos pushing the disco music fad were not doing it for nothing! Go on twinkle toes get those feet moving.

STEP AEROBICS
Step Aerobics has it advantages over the dance genre in that you can be coordinately challenged and still manage to obtain a high calories burning workout. Where as dance may have you moving like Big Bird instead of Fred Astaire, leaving you out of step and time with the music and moves, steps is actually a lot more routine. (Note here please, before I get deluged with Step enthusiasts procrastinations, that advanced class step are indeed a lot more challenging). The step itself is a raised platform with risers on the side to alter the height and so make it more challenging. The higher the step, the harder the