Sport aerobics in details

Sports aerobics is one of the five types of gymnastics. Sports aerobics has a worldwide status as a sport, and competitions are held in it. What peculiarities does it have?

Types

According to the intensity of the training, the tasks and goals that are set by athletes, sports aerobics can be:

• applied;
• competitive;
• recreational.

Recreational aerobics is one of the branches of physical culture with a controlled load. It does not have sports goals and is aimed at the general improvement and strengthening of the body.

In contrast to recreational and applied aerobics, sports aerobics is a complex and emotional sport, in which athletes perform a set of exercises with high intensity and complex coordinated elements to the music. In sports aerobics elements from gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and acrobatics are used.

A lot of attention is given to choreography. Competitions are held in several categories: individual (separate for men and women), mixed pairs, trios and groups. When judging the program, judges take into account the art of movement, which shows the strength, endurance, flexibility, as well as artistry of the performance and complexity of the program.

Competitions

Competitions in sports aerobics are held on a special platform, which size is 7×7 meters. It is possible to increase it up to 10×10 m.

All performances can be divided into several categories depending on various factors. Speaking of the gender and the number of participants, the performance can be judged as individual, group or mixed. There can be three or five athletes in a team. Depending on the variation of the sport, performances can be distinguished as aerodance or aerostep.

All athletes compete in groups based on their age. Gymnasts at the age of 12-14, 9-11 and 6-8 years old compete separately. There is another category, in which adult sportsmen compete.

The performance is a program made up of certain elements and movements. They are different in complexity, may carry some semantic and national colors. Athletes perform them very intensely and they are necessarily accompanied by music.

All the elements that are performed in competitions are divided into four structural groups: D, C, B, A. They contain exercises, respectively, for endurance, agility, flexibility, or strength. Usually they all are present in the program (in varying numbers, combinations).

The main international competitions in aerobics held under the supervision and patronages of the FIG are World Championships, World Cup stages (series) and finals, and continental championships. Traditionally, the most fierce struggle at international competitions unfolds between representatives of such countries as Russia, Romania, Spain, Bulgaria, Japan, Korea, Chile, Italy, France, China, Brazil, New Zealand, etc.

Evaluation

Exercise is evaluated by three criteria: performance, artistry and complexity.

Four judges evaluate performance and artistry, and two judges evaluate complexity. Another judge takes care of skidding over the site.

The maximum number of points gymnasts can get for performance and artistry is ten. At the same time, overall complexity depends on the complexity of performed elements. Points may be deducted for various violations.

In accordance with the traditions of gymnastics, the maximum evaluation sums up the results of all sections of the judging. Then deductions for violations are made, and the winner of the competition is determined by the final evaluation. If several athletes have the same final grade, there is a system of determining the winner taking into account its components (preference is given to the evaluation of artistry).

There are several requirements for the clothing of performing athletes: in short, it must indicate that this kind of aerobics is a sport. The best option is a piece leotard.

Transparency of the suit is not allowed, the length of the sleeves in women’s aerobics is limited to the wrists of the hands. The neckline of the costume in the front and back cannot be too deep.

Types of aerobics

There are many types of aerobics, each having its own peculiarities.

Power aerobics. In this type of aerobics athletes perform movements using dumbbells, special barbells or steel sticks. This type of aerobics is very demanding and requires a high level of preparation.

Dance aerobics is a synthesis of different dance styles with elements of simple gymnastic exercises.

Step-aerobics owes its birth to the American fitness trainer Jean Miller. The impetus for the creation of this trend was a knee injury. According to some reports, Jean used the porch of the house, going up and down from it in order to rehabilitate as quickly as possible. This is how the first step platform was created. Incorporating rhythmic music into the workout transformed these exercises into a new style of aerobics.

Slide aerobics uses a special mat with a slippery surface for training. An athlete slides on this surface while performing training movements. Usually this sport imitates the movements of skiers and skaters. Cardio load is combined with a power component, and the power component is very serious.

Fitball Aerobics involves training with the use of a large ball, which serves as a support during the exercises.

History

The word “aerobic” in relation to different types of motor activity, having health-improving orientation, came into use in 1960s. Thanks to the book “Aerobics” written by an American physician Kenneth Cooper, the world learned about the benefits of this physical activity.

American actress Jane Fonda creatively approached the list of aerobic workouts and considerably enriched dance aerobics by combining a set of dance exercises performed to music into a lesson format. In 1979, Fonda opened her first aerobics studio in Beverly Hills. Later, in 1981, she published an illustrated edition of Jane Fonda’s Workout Book, which by 1986 had sold two million copies. In the 1980s, aerobic exercise became extraordinarily popular among slimmer people all over the world.

Thus, sport aerobics is a popular competitive sport that attracts many people who are interested in exercising.