On the flickering, spotty-screen television, a brown-haired woman dressed in bright, colorful attire full of energy led viewers through warm-up exercises before expertly demonstrating aerobics moves. This woman was Jane Fonda, who ignited the aerobics craze on TV in 1982 with "Workout Starring Jane Fonda," produced by Karl Home Video and RCA Video Productions, aiming to make exercise easy and accessible for women at home.
By 1980, Jane Fonda was an icon of the aerobics dance world, comparable to Elizabeth Sparkle from The Substance, helping popularize aerobics far beyond its origins. Aerobics began as a fitness routine for pilots and astronauts at Texas’s Lackland Air Force Base in the 1960s, created by military physician Kenneth H. Cooper to keep them physically fit before missions. In 1968, Cooper published a book called “Aerobics” promoting an easy exercise plan with the slogan “The best exercise plan! No dieting! No body weights! No measuring your willpower!” Later, Jacki Sorensen adapted this into a music-free TV workout program, eventually adding popular music, becoming one of the first televised exercise shows for the general public.
Around the 1970s, artists began producing music specifically for aerobics, such as Carol Henzel’s "Dancercize" and tracks by McFadden & Whitehead, The Doobie Brothers, and Gloria Gaynor. However, no dance album was as popular as Jane Fonda’s Workout Record, which featured hits by The Jacksons, The Brothers Johnson, and Jimmy Buffett, along with Jane Fonda’s voice guiding home exercisers to perform the moves correctly.
In the NPR program All Things Considered, host Pien Huang interviewed writer Danielle Friedman about the 1970s phenomenon that transformed exercise forever. They discussed how, before 1972, women’s exercise options were very limited, especially in gyms or fitness centers. But with the rise of sports science and Kenneth H. Cooper’s aerobics book, more people embraced cardio workouts. Author Tom Wolfe even called the era the “Me Decade,” as Americans began focusing on self-care and encouraged women who had never exercised before to see good health as achievable.
The Aerobics Craze didn’t stay confined to the United States; it crossed the ocean to Thailand, where Professor Dr. Sukanya Panichcharoen, known as Teacher Aoi, pioneered aerobics. After studying gymnastics and spending three years in Japan learning dance-based exercise—Japan itself influenced by American aerobics—Teacher Aoi held workshops at a gym in 1984, training instructors who would spread aerobics moves widely, seen today in places like Lumpini Park and other public parks.
Today, aerobics remains highly popular and widely seen. Teacher Aoi told Thai PBS that aerobics should not be viewed merely as entertainment dancing but as a test of physical endurance requiring correct technique to avoid injury from improper moves.
For those curious about how to perform proper aerobics, Thairath Plus invites everyone to join the “Mak Muan Na Han” event—an hour-long aerobics session with instructor and singer Hai-Arporn Nakhonsawan at Chatuchak Park, inside the innermost aerobics area, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., accommodating up to 1,000 participants. People of any gender are welcome to try aerobics and discover that it’s not just for women but suitable for anyone who loves staying healthy.
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