Aerobic gymnastics uses the aerobics technique.
Gymnastics is the activity that consists of the development of certain movements and exercises with the intention of achieving and maintaining good physical condition. Aerobic , for its part, is an adjective that refers to what is done using oxygen.
Aerobic gymnastics is the gymnastic discipline that is carried out using the aerobic technique , which is based on performing exercise routines with music while controlling the respiratory rate.
In aerobic gymnastics, the athlete must perform a routine with intense movements and using different elements of difficulty. In his actions he must show strength , flexibility and fluidity.
Origins of aerobic gymnastics
The origins of aerobic gymnastics date back to the late 1960s . It emerged as a training method and then became a sport , although it can be practiced without competitive desire. Among the benefits of aerobic gymnastics are increased muscle tone, regulation of body weight and stress relief.
The spread of aerobic gymnastics took place in several countries thanks to the work of well-known people such as Sidney Rome and Jane Fonda , who took advantage of their love of physical exercise to build a business in which they offered consumers television programs and home videos to Help them tone their muscles in the comfort of home .
The origins of aerobic gymnastics are located in the late 1960s.
Cooper's contributions
We must go back to 1968 to find the precise origin of aerobic gymnastics as we know it today. It was at that time that this term was included for the first time in a publication; in fact, the book was titled "Aerobics." Its author was a North American army doctor named Kenneth H. Cooper . Throughout the work, he describes a program that he had created to train soldiers. On the other hand, there are those who believe that the word "aerobic" had been coined almost a century earlier by Louis Pasteur , the well-known French chemist who created the process that we know today as pasteurization .
The key to the program designed by Dr. Kenneth lay in carrying out efforts for prolonged periods of time, with the aim of improving the resistance and performance of the soldiers, while decreasing the risk of respiratory and heart diseases. such as arteriosclerosis and heart attacks. In his book, aerobic gymnastics is mentioned as an excellent exercise for the development of our body in a healthy and balanced way, even reducing the intensity of the practices, always in pursuit of the health of the cardiovascular system.
In 1969, they began to use aerobic gymnastics to replace the system until then used by the wives of soldiers at a base in Puerto Rico, which was based merely on maintaining their figure . For his part, Kenneth published a second book called "The New Aerobics", which aimed at training people over 35 years of age, and another in which he focused specifically on aerobic gymnastics for women.
Aerobic gymnastics competitions
As a competition, aerobic gymnastics includes various modalities. It can be individual, in pairs, in trios or in groups. A jury is in charge of observing and analyzing the routines and then establishing scores according to whether or not they meet certain requirements.
The choreographies, the use of space , the precision and complexity of the movements, the rhythm and the use of elements of difficulty are some of the variables that the jury studies to award the points. In certain cases, gymnasts can be penalized : if the routine does not have the regulatory duration, if the athlete leaves the track, if the locker room is not appropriate, etc.