What is step aerobics? Why was it designed? Well step aerobics is a form of aerobics done using a raised platform called a step. It was designed as a low-impact, higher intensity alternative to floor aerobic workouts. As fitness improves with consistent, regular aerobic workouts, the body adapts to that level of intensity. This makes it necessary for you to work harder for maintaining your target training heart rate during an aerobic workout. Also taking your floor aerobic dance patterns onto a step is loads of fun, plus it is an easy way of getting more aerobic intensity in the same amount of time. The intensity of a step workout depends on the combination of interdependent variables that you do. It could be step height, propulsion or power moves, arm moves, choreography, and length of workout and music tempo.

Basic step aerobics - learning more about it!

A positive thing about stepping is that you can adjust the intensity factors easily during a workout for ensure your safety. This can be done by hitting the pause button while you lower or raise the step height. While doing basic steps you can include some or none of the power moves at your discretion. These include arm movements. In basic step aerobics, one must stick to the base moves or add the turns and pivots. You can follow the moves on the floor if you are tired.

Another crucial variable for basic steppers is the music tempo. In this, the bpm (beats per minute), determines how fast you must move your feet and lift and lower the body weight to keep up with the workout. It determines the safety of a workout for your level of fitness. However is unfortunate that most step videos do not indicate the bpm on the cover and until one plays the video, one has no idea if it's too fast for them. Thus step workouts are a fun way of adding variety and intensity to an aerobic program. Like any type of exercise it has certain risks not so much at the basic level, but they tend to increase at a higher level.