aerobics-related stories
Zumba: Fit Test Drive
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products
Photo: Zumba, LLC
Zumba: The word definitely sounds more like a festive tropical energy drink than a workout and I'll admit, until recently I'd never heard of it either. But if trend tracking is to be believed, this Latin-themed aerobic dance workout may be on the way to your gym even as we speak. As of July 2009, classes were being offered at over 40,000 gyms in 75 countries. And spinoff genres--among them Country Line Dancing Zumba, Aqua Zumba, an even Zumba Gold for seniors are gaining ground.
The Zumba story's a pretty winning one: Back in the 1990s, Alberto Perez, a young aerobics instructor teaching in Cali, Columbia, arrived at his class only to realize he'd forgotten all his tapes. Luckily, he had plenty of salsa and merengue tracks in his car -- he grabbed them, and proceeded to improvise the whole class to those beats. People loved it and there was, he says, just no going back. In 1999, he paired with some enthusiastic backers and brought the concept stateside, where it became something of an American Dream fitness story. Zumba's landed everything from book deals and videos to a partnership with Kellogg's (it's been featured on the back of their cereal boxes as part of a fitness campaign for the Hispanic market).
Retro Aerobics Workouts Make a Comeback

With the economy forcing us to get back to the basics of life just to get by, gyms and fitness centers are seeing a rising interest in retro classes. At New York City's Crunch fitness center, there are Retro-robic classes that let aerobicizers get their dance on all in the name of breaking a sweat. "The class is timeless," teacher Carol Johnson tells Reuters. "Good for the heart, spirit, and wallet."
And at Retrofitness, an entire chain of health clubs devoted to that most colorful decade, members on treadmills and elliptical machines watch 1980s movie classics on TV while heavy metal favorites like Poison and Def Leppard blast from nearby speakers. Probably most importantly, Retrofitness boosts an old-fashioned price tag too -- just $19.95 a month for membership.
Aerobic Exercise - Not just for Weight Loss

OK, I admit it -- I've not been a fan of long mindless aerobic exercise, certainly not when it comes to weight loss. Recently I wrote a piece -- "The Problem with Cardio"-- that might have led you to believe I think cardio is a waste of time. That's not actually true. I think that aerobic exercise is way oversold as a weight-loss strategy, and truth be told, most people could get positive calorie burning effects in a much shorter time with high-intensity interval training. But just because jogging an hour a day may not be the most effective way to lose weight, doesn't mean you should abandon your cardio work.
Not long ago, scientists at McMaster University Department of Medicine, Health Sciences and Rheumatology Division, compared the findings of 17 studies examining the effects of exercise on anti-aging and the immune system. They wanted to answer the following question: What, if any, are the effects of regular aerobic and/ or resistance exercise on the immune system in healthy older adults?
Bad Cardio?
Ask Fitz!, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Hi Fitz! I've come across a couple articles recently that are dead-set against prolonged cardio multiple times a week. They suggest that High Intensity Interval Training or low intensity activity only a few times a week at most, alongside regular weight training, is the only way to lose fat and stay fit. I don't think I could live without long runs or my favorite aerobics class. What do you think? Thanks, Samantha
A. Hi Samantha! Thanks for the great question. I'm sure it's on the minds of many. Bottom line, the folks who said that are over-opinionated. Think about Lance Armstrong, the guy does massive amounts of cardio each week and is the picture of health. So do I ... and so do most runners, cyclists, boxers, kickboxers, soccer players and more.
Age Without Getting Old: Lessons from Celebrities
Healthy Aging, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
I've spent a lot of time with various celebrities this year and have poked them all about their health and fitness habits. Two of the most inspiring were not the young hard bodies we see on the covers of tabloid magazines each week. No, these two celebrities have healthy capable bodies, which have endured many years of living.
The woman I speak of, at 57 years old, is every bit the blond bombshell she was known as 30 years ago. She works out six to seven days a week, mixing up her workouts with: kickboxing, yoga, water aerobics and climbing her steep driveway known as "butt hill."
The man who stood out is in his late 60s and still plays basketball and baseball on a regular basis. The guy has probably been in every hit sitcom in the past three decades and told me that the highlight of his year would be if I could hook him up to throw the ball around with the Heisman Trophy winning University of Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow.
3 signs your fitness trainer isn't up to par
My exercise of choice is following a fitness DVD in my living room. It's private, convenient, and I know just how long it's going to take. I also know that my instructor is one I'm going to like ... because she never changes. But if you're taking fitness classes at a gym, you may not always know who your instructor is going to be. To help you sort out the fit hits from fit flops, Divine Caroline shares eight traits of a bad aerobics instructor:- Forgetful Freddy. An occasional lapse in memory is just human but if your instructor is consistently forgetting the routine or what you did last week, odds are his mind is on something else.
- Lopsided Lola. If your trainer doesn't work both sides of your body equally, it's setting you up for possible injury and/or uneven muscle development -- especially if it happens week after week.
- Offbeat Olga. If your class is set to music, the rhythm should help motivate you. If your instructor can't keep a beat, it's a sure way to throw off the whole class.
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs - Reese Witherspoon hops to it
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment

Reyes explains, "Most people think yoga is all granola and hippies, so I love to explain how YogaHop is not like that. Imagine all the benefits of Hatha Yoga, then add chart music that will have you bouncing into the poses." Reese obviously agrees, as she tries to attend the 90-minute class two or three times a week, occasionally taking Jake along with her.
It's hard for me to picture, but I can imagine how joining the flexibility of practicing yoga with a more upbeat, energetic workout would be fun. Have you ever tried YogaHop, or anything like it? Because, if it's good enough for Reese, I'm thinking it's good enough for me.
Flip through the gallery below for more celebrity fitness secrets.
Tighten your "jubbily" bits
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
There are always hints in the media about this celebrity or that celebrity coming out with a fitness DVD. Melanie Brown, otherwise known as Mel B, has followed through. The Spice Girls' three-disc fitness DVD will be available February 3rd. Mel B, a former Dancing With the Stars contestant, said "For anyone with jubbily bits, I'm going to tighten you up, make you laugh and enjoy your workout no matter what level you are."
The discs, titled Totally Fit, cover a 28-day program with aerobic and resistance workouts. She also shares some nutrition tips and recipes.
For more news on celebrity fitness, check out AOL Health.
Celebrity Fitzness Report: Charlie's Angel Cheryl Ladd
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Healthy Places, Healthy Relationships, Stress Reduction, Vitamins and Supplements, Womens Health, Healthy Recipes, Celebrities and Entertainment, Cellulite, Celebrity Fitzness Report, Obesity, Healthy Events, Fashion and Beauty, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.
My guest this week became famous as one of the hot, yet capable babes of Charlie's Angels. This role that burned Cheryl Ladd's name and face into our minds forever, in my opinion, will not in the end, be what we remember her for. We spoke recently both over the phone and in person, and she definitely showed a side of her I hadn't expected to see.
Although stunningly beautiful, and more capable of turning heads at age 57 than most women are at 25 ... Cheryl's most impressive quality in my book is her willingness to take care of other women. She's investing a lot of time in guiding and educating other Baby Boomer women about menopause. Menopause is often a taboo, hush hush topic. But Cheryl has embraced her age and stepped up to the plate to help make her personal experience with menopause an educational experience for others. She shared a bunch of private experiences with me and offered advice for growing more beautiful each year. Read on to learn how to age as gracefully and gorgeously as she has.
Fitz: You're an iconic figure in beauty. You've aged flawlessly, and to me ... you're prettier today than you were 30 years ago starring in Charlie's Angels. What can we do, to be more like you?
Cheryl: First of all, I think it's most important for women to have a close relationship with their doctor. It's important to trust your doctor, so when things go weird you are comfortable addressing the situation and taking care of things. Be proactive with your health! You also have to love yourself! Beauty comes from the inside first.
Fitz: Well your outside is pretty fantastic too. Let's start with your fitness routine. What do you do to stay in such great shape?
Click here for a sneak peek at Fitz's live interview with Cheryl!
Thigh dancing with Kelly Ripa
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
I have to admit that I got a halfway decent workout from watching this Kelly Ripa video (via Fitsugar). Not from trying the moves myself ... from laughing out loud. She leads a group of people, including CNN's Anderson Cooper through a series of quite ridiculous exercises. Anderson Cooper's response is hilarious. There's no way he's going to let himself be caught on video doing the thigh dancing "lasso" move.
Though I'm sure some of the moves were just for laugh value more than anything, quite a few of these exercises could have impact. I might give them a try (when I'm home alone, with the blinds firmly closed). Because, crazy looking as it might be, Kelly Ripa is doing something right -- the girl looks great!
Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Aqua Fitness & Jumping Rope
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Womens Health, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Kids, Healthy Products and Reviews, Ask Fitz!, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Hi Fitz, I have a small kidney-shaped pool in my back yard. My preteen kids will be in it all summer and I'd like to kill two birds with one stone by spending time with them and getting in some exercise. What things do you recommend I do for a workout in a small pool? Andrea
A. Hello Miss Andrea. Thanks for the fantastic question. I love questions that pertain to a lot of people, and this one certainly does. I imagine there will be tons of moms and dads in pools over the next few months, trying to make the most out of their outdoor time. Here's the best news. Playing with your children and doing all of the things they do will prove to be a tremendous workout in itself. Kids are cuckoo in the water, and that requires lots of energy. So, at minimum, you could just play copycat.
Jazzercise: Still around after all these years
Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
There have been a lot of fitness trends that have come and gone since the 80s, but at least one has managed to stay popular throughout the decades -- Jazzercise. The word alone brings to mind images of leg warmers and tights, but Jazzercise has managed to stay flexible over the years, which is probably why it's still around.Today, Jazzercise still uses many of the same classic movements, but it also incorporates more "modern" workouts such as Pilates and kickboxing. The result is a workout that resonates with people, and the company recently enjoyed the best year of their nearly four decade long history.
Maintaining a regular exercise routine means finding a workout that you love, so if dancing to pop hits sounds like your idea of a good time, Jazzercise may just be for you. (Leg warmers not required...)
Fitzness Fiend: Barbara Tripp
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Healthy Kids, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!
Name: Barbara Tripp
Age: 41
Occupation: Dental Office Manager & single mom
How often do you exercise? Five times per week.
What type of exercise do you do? Aerobics, walking, jogging, hiking, bike riding, weight lifting, and most recently added to my routine, yoga. I love it!
Have you "done your cooper" today?
Ever heard of Dr. Kenneth Cooper? He's the man who first coined the term "aerobics" in 1968. Over the years, the man's name has become so synonymous with exercise that in Brazil, another term for jogging is "doing your cooper."
The 76-year-old founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas definitely does his coopers. Forty years after his revolutionary discovery, he's hitting the gym daily and credits his good health to exercise.
"The number one reason I exercise is that it makes me feel good, enhances my well-being and helps me control stress," he tells Reader's Digest (January 2008). "If I didn't exercise, I couldn't sleep at night."
The man makes a good case for exercise. So, have you "done your cooper" today?
Walk away the pounds ... in your living room!
Walking alone is a great way to get started when in a fitness routine, but if you'r erelatively in shape and want a workout that challenges you, the program has a number of 'walking boosters' -- including weights and ramps -- that can boost the calorie burn.
What do you think ... is walking the way to shedding pounds? Or will you need some other form of activity?























