Step aerobic exercise first originated in the 1980's where it was created by a group fitness instructor named Gin Miller. Ms. Miller had injured her knee and was rehabilitating it by climbing her porch steps over and over. She soon realized that this was not only a low-impact exercise, but it could also raise the heart rate and provide a good cardiovascular workout at the same time. Ms. Miller began introducing the idea to her classes, and eventually teamed up with Reebok to form Step Reebok. Since then, step aerobics has taken off.

If you've hit a plateau in your aerobic workouts, you can try adding step exercise in your routine. Step aerobic exercise will not only help you metabolize fat, it will strengthen your muscles and increase your aerobic stamina as well. The raising and lowering of the body in this type of exercise utilizes the large muscles of the lower legs. These raising and lowering actions also strengthen the muscles and tendons and the ligaments connecting muscles and bones to each other.

Step exercise offers many of the same benefits of jogging or running. However, the advantage is it is achieved without the associated stress and pressure placed upon the joints of the ankles and knees. Plus, this type of class is just plain fun! The routines are always varied and each instructor adds their own fun flair to their classes.

All fitness levels can enjoy step aerobics and many of our recreation centers offer several formats. Some classes are all cardio, where others combine step with intervals of resistance work using elastic bands and hand weights. If you have not tried this kind of class yet, then you are missing out on an awesome workout that is easy to follow and fun to do!

At Bayside, we offer 30/30 Step Resistance (30 minutes of step cardio and 30 minutes of resistance work) on Mondays at 5:15 pm and Saturdays at 9:15 am, as well as Step and Sculpt on Thursdays at 5:30 pm.

At Kempsville, we offer Basic Step and Sculpt on Mondays at 9:00 am, Step Aerobics on Tuesdays at 9:00 am, and Step This Way on Saturdays at 9:30 am.

And starting in January, we will offer 30/30 Step Resistance at Princess Anne on Wednesdays at 10:15 am. Come join the fun!