If you were to ask current gym-goers what their favorite class was about 15 years ago, odds are they would say Step.
Step Aerobicscame to life in the late 1980swhen fitness instructor and athlete Gin Miller was told by her doctor to step up and down on a milk crate to rehabilitate a knee injury. In the beginning, step aerobics was done slowly and simply, with an emphasis on athletic movements. The industry standard was to teach choreography at a 120-128 bpm range, and many participants used two to three risers to keep the workout intense. This was a dramatic and welcome difference from hi/lo floor aerobics classes, where choreography was becoming increasingly intricate and fast, with music speeds ranging from 145-170 bpm.
As time progressed, so did Step. Many of the fun and familiar moves found in traditional floor aerobics like V-step, mambos, and lunges adapted to the step. Styles of Step taught varied from athletic to dance-based to any combination of the two.
Whether freestyle or pre-choreographed, athletic or dance-based, class members loved the mental and physical challenge that Step Aerobics provided. Spending an hour intensely focused on choreography cues could be called the first mind-body workout.
To keep the advanced Step members challenged, choreography became more complex, and the speed of the class increased to around 130-135 bpm. While many continued to enjoy the class, it almost became too challenging for newcomers who were unfamiliar with the names of moves and with the step in general.
Step Aerobics remains a solid format for both instructors and participants. As an instructor, if you can teach step, you can teach just about anything! Solid cueing and musicality are essential and important skill set to have for teaching any class in the group fitness world. For participants, Step offers an interesting and low-impact cardio workout that challenges the mind as much as the body.
The work remains for instructors to find a healthy balance between keeping experienced students challenged while still welcoming those new to step. Find classes on our website or our app.