The Return of ’80s Aerobics Proves We All Just Want to Have Fun While Working Out

Pre-teen me step-touched, grapevined, and knee-pulled back and forth across the living room carpet until my bare feet were raw. My developing sense of self probably could have done without the on-screen instructors’ quips about “trouble areas” and “toning up,” but I was legitimately having fun.

Decades later, so were the people in these IG reels. Their moves were familiar, but the choreography was fresh. And they weren’t just sweatin’ to the oldies as part of some “'80s Night” theme. They were working out in modern studios, many of which were solely dedicated to dance-based fitness.

When the Peloton app started adding more “low-impact cardio” to an offering that had always skewed toward high-intensity interval training (HIIT), I sensed a trend. Or at least a shift in how we think about aerobics, from a campy, leg warmer-clad fad we revisit for laughs to an accessible and effective form of cardiorespiratory exercise that might help us live healthier, happier lives.

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Why is '80s aerobics trending, anyway?

According to some fitness pros, the interest in aerobics has never waned. “It’s never really gone away,” says Shanna M. Nelson, CEO and chief choreographer of Jazzercise, a company that’s offered aerobics classes nationwide for over 55 years. “People have always enjoyed aerobics because dance is universal,” she says.

Sadie Kurzban, founder and CEO of 305 Fitness, which specializes in dance cardio, shares a similar perspective. “Dance has always been popular,” she says. “Maybe there was a perception that dance was either very elite or too mass amongst coastal cities,” she adds, referring to New York and Los Angeles, where new fitness trends tend to catch fire (and fizzle) first. “But, for forever, middle America has been dancing, and the world has been dancing,” she says, pointing to the success of Zumba, which boasts more than 12 million participants from more than 125 countries.

For Peloton, the move to include more aerobics-inspired “low-impact cardio” classes was driven by instructor Rebecca Kennedy, CPT. “Personally, I was going through a shift in my own training,” she says, noting how she deprioritized high-intensity cardio and began to focus more on strength training coupled with low-impact, low-intensity cardio. “I was looking at my own blood work and body composition as this sort of case study, and everything started to level out to a place where I felt super strong. I wasn’t getting injured. I was feeling the benefits of endurance. I felt so good in my body.”

When Kennedy, who has a background in dance, pitched aerobics-inspired classes to Peloton, she knew they would resonate with subscribers. If their growing interest in outdoor walks and treadmill hikes was any indication, members were hungry for more low-intensity cardio options. Plus, learning choreography set to popular songs seems to scratch the same itch as jumping on the latest TikTok trend.

“Everybody on TikTok loves to learn these little dances,” Kennedy says. “It’s easy to pick up and follow along. And once you get that endorphin rush, you connect that with the movement that you’re doing. So you associate this type of movement with being happy and feeling free and moving your body.”

That could be another reason '80s aerobics is resonating with more people right now—happiness. “I think the pandemic was a gloomy time for a lot of people,” Kurzban says. Many were impacted in ways that led them to change their careers, relationships, living arrangements, and the way they exercise. “Maybe there is this spirit of coming out of that and embracing the future that allows people to psychologically embrace dance a little bit more,” she says.

Maybe we’re all just ready to have a good time.

The benefits of retro '80s aerobics

Unless you’re really going all out, most aerobics workouts fall squarely in “zone 2” training territory, where your heart is beating at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. At this intensity, your effort is sustainable, and you can carry on a conversation without getting winded.

For most people, steady-state exercise should make up the bulk of their cardiorespiratory exercise, which is critical to heart health and disease prevention. Unlike high-intensity cardio¹, “you can do this kind of [low-intensity] cardio every day if you wanted to and not run the same risk of injury, spiking your hormones, or increasing inflammation,” Kennedy says.

Of course, you don’t need to accumulate the recommended 150 minutes of weekly cardio with just jazz squares and high kicks. Almost any exercise that elevates your heart rate—jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing, hiking—will work. But '80s aerobics does offer a few unique benefits.

1. It offers movement variation

While other forms of cardio, like running and cycling, are based on repetitive movement patterns, '80s aerobics gets you moving different body parts in every plane of motion.

“I like to make sure that we’re adding rotation, that we’re hitting different levels, and that we’re working unilaterally and bilaterally,” Kennedy says. This keeps workouts interesting while also promoting a wide range of mobility and preventing muscle imbalances.

2. It challenges your memory and cognition

Aerobics isn’t just about physical exertion. It can be equally challenging to learn new movements and remember the choreography.

“When you’re dancing, your brain has to make all of these connections. It’s so cognitively demanding,” Kurzban says. “You're having fun—you don’t feel like you’re taking the SAT—but it’s so good for your memory and brain.” In fact, some research² shows dancing can help reduce the risk of dementia.

3. It improves your bone health

With age, bone density declines, making us more susceptible to fractures. Exercise—especially load-bearing and plyometric (jumping) exercise—keeps your bones strong and reduces the risk of osteoporosis³. “Any time you’re jumping or leaping in dance aerobics, you’re getting the benefits of weight-bearing exercise,” Nelson says.

“It's an emerging trend that has been building momentum for years—people want a less intense version of fitness and wellness.” —Anthony Vennare, founder of Fitt Insider

4. It positively impacts your mental health

It’s hard to take yourself seriously when you’re doing the pony, but the mental health benefits of dance go beyond mood-boosting. Research⁴ shows that dance is an effective therapeutic tool for adults with psychological trauma.

Kurzban likens the phenomenon to animal interactions you see in nature. “A bunny rabbit that’s attacked by a snake will, most of the time, play dead. And when the snake goes away, it’s going to shake. It will literally shake the trauma off,” she says.

5. It's an accessible way to boost longevity

While there will always be a place for killer workouts that test your limits and “empty the tank,” there’s also a need for accessible workouts that don’t require extensive recovery.

“It's an emerging trend that has been building momentum for years—people want a less intense version of fitness and wellness,” says Anthony Vennare, founder of Fitt Insider. “It's not so much a fall of HIIT but a rise of longevity that has more people turning to less impact and more sustainable options that they can do over a longer period of time.”

6 aerobics moves you need to know

Whether you’re prepping for your first aerobics class or looking to string together a few heart-pumping combinations of your own, the following moves, demonstrated by Skyla Nelson, Jazzercise instructor, content creator, and training and development coordinator, are clutch.

We included three classic '80s aerobics steps that have stood the test of time (what’s an aerobics routine with a grapevine?) and three modern moves you may be seeing for the first time.

The classics

1. Grapevine

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
2. Step your left foot out to the left as you lift both arms straight overhead.
3. As you bring your arms down in front of you and to your sides, cross your right foot behind your left.
4. Lift your arms overhead as you step your left foot to the left so your feet are again hip-width apart.
5. Draw your elbows down toward your waist with palms facing forward, creating a “W” shape with your arms and torso, and kick your right heel up toward your butt.
6. Place your right foot on the ground, lift your arms overhead, and immediately repeat the sequence on the opposite side.
7. To dial up the intensity, add a little hop to each step.

2. Jazz square

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Step your right foot in front of your left.
3. Step your left foot behind you, slightly to the left.
4. Step your right foot back and to the right so you’re standing with your feet in line with each other, slightly wider than hip-width apart.
5. Step the left foot forward.
6. Cross your right foot in front of the left to repeat the whole sequence.

3. Jazz stretch

1. Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, arms at your sides.
2. Bend just your left knee as you stretch your left arm directly overhead. Keep the palm of your hand facing forward and spread your fingers apart in a “jazz hand.” Place your right hand on your hip.
3. Lower your arms and straighten your knee to return to standing.
4. Repeat on the opposite side, bending your right knee and stretching your right arm overhead.
5. Repeat, alternating sides.

The modern moves

1. Plié knee rotation

1. Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes turned out slightly, and your arms at your sides.
2. Lower your hips into a plié or half-squat.
3. Keeping the ball of the right foot planted, rotate your right knee inward and pop your right hip forward.
4. Rotate the right knee outward to return to your plié.
5. Repeat on the left side. Keep the ball of your left foot planted as you rotate your left knee inward and outward, popping your hip.
6. Repeat the movement, alternating sides
7. Not sure what to do with your arms? You can keep them at your sides, float them overhead, draw your elbows toward and away from your hips, or move them in any way that feels natural.

2. Pivot pull

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
2. Step forward with your right foot, pivoting on the ball of your left foot, and turn your body to the left. Simultaneously bend both elbows, hands in fists, and lift your arms to shoulder height.
3. Once your right foot hits the floor, pull both elbows toward your waist and pop your right hip forward.
4. As you draw your right foot back and return to face forward, pump your arms up and down again.
5. Repeat with the left foot and continue to alternate sides.

3. Plié heel pop

1. Stand with feet a little wider than hip-width apart.
2. Drop your hips into a deep plié or squat, placing both hands on knees.
3. As you return to standing, pop your heels off the ground so you’re up on your toes. Keep your torso facing forward, but rotate your hips to the right. Draw your hands up toward your chest so your elbows are bent and pointed to the sides.
4. Rotate your hips to face forward, lower your heels, and drop back down into a plié, placing your hands on your knees.
5. Again, return to standing, lifting your heels to stand up on your toes. Rotate your hips to the left as you draw your hands up to your chest.
6. Repeat, alternating sides.