The Fitness Evolution

As science has progressed over the last 50 or so years, it has become more and more apparent that health is directly linked to weight and overall fitness. Before the 60's, being voluptuous with soft curves was definitely the desirable look.

But quiet suddenly (when taken in terms of how trends develop over time) people wanted to be trimmer and firmer. This had a lot more to do with image than it did with being healthy. Being rich or famous meant that you had access to a healthier lifestyle and even if you did not own a fortune, you could certainly look as if you were wealthy.

Actors, actresses, models and other famous people of the era were also getting thinner and were talking about exercising and dieting. Although not everybody was jumping on the band wagon, changes were being made to incorporate the new look into lifestyles.

The fitness revolution only really came about in the 80's when different forms of exercise were suddenly available to every person. The advent of new technological devices also played a role in getting bums off couches and getting fit.

The videocassette recorder, or VCR as it was better known at the time, allowed fitness experts and stars to promote their exercise routines to the general public. In turn, everybody wanted to get in on the act and started an exercising revolution in the living room.

Morning breakfast television shows dedicated segments to aerobics and other exercise phenomena and television in general became more about getting off the couch than relaxing and taking in a show. Doctors were telling their patients to loose weight and exercise if they wanted to avoid a heart attack and live longer. High impact cardiovascular exercise was the in thing.

The 90's ran with the fitness phenomenon that was sweeping the globe and everybody just had to have a membership to a gym. This gave people access to different types of equipment and a variety of exercises to help them trim down and tone up.

In the new mellenium, a new fitness trend evolved bringing back some old exercise trends while revolutionizing the newer fitness regimes. Pilates, yoga and thai chi became the new way to gain the ideal body and a better understanding of how muscles and exercise improve overall health.

Cardiovascular exercise took a new turn by decreasing the high impact nature of exercise while increasing the energy burning capacity of the routine. It was also no longer just cycling or running as fast and as long as possible, but integrating different difficulty levels into your fitness program. Even dancing, boxing and other forms of traditional exercise were upgraded to become far more intense.

In the current decade, fitness and exercise is beginning to play an even more important role in lifestyle choices. At the same time, fitness choices are becoming much more individualized as people try to find an exercise routine that they enjoy and that provides them with all the health benefits of being fit.