Imagine scrolling through social media and seeing a viral workout routine. While trends come and go on social media, they’ve been around for decades. What can you learn from these past fads? Here are six exercise trends from the past and how they can inform your current routine.

1. The Basics of Calisthenics
In the early 20th century, you couldn’t go on TikTok and see what your favorite creators were doing. Instead, you likely relied on calisthenics. This exercise method was popular in the early 20th century, thanks to Friedrich Ludwig Jahn and Adolf Spiess of Germany. Calisthenics involves basic exercises like bending, stretching, and jumping. You could also do full-body exercises like pushups.

Although primitive, calisthenics is still applicable to your workouts today. This approach promotes flexibility and coordination, so it’s worth exercising as your ancestors did. Now, you can use calisthenics to warm up for your pickup basketball game or a pickleball match. Use rings and wands if you want to mimic the old methods.

2. The Fun of Aerobics Tapes
You may find an exercise disc on the DVD shelf if you go to your parents’ or grandparents’ houses. This trend was more like a phenomenon in the 1980s, starting with Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda. The latter sold over 17 million copies of her 1982 workout video, beginning a trend for the next couple of decades.

While workout videos from 40 years ago seem cheesy, there’s still plenty to take away from them. Primarily, people learned that exercise can occur in fun and positive environments. You may feel more motivated when you see smiles on faces and people enjoying themselves. This trend also shows the benefits of exercising at home.

3. The Rhythm of Zumba
Once the 2000s arrived, the fitness world decided to add more rhythm to its cardio routine. Beto Pérez started the Zumba program to combine aerobics with Latin dance music like salsa and merengue. Two decades later, you can find Zumba fitness centers worldwide. The program has expanded to include aquatics, strength training, and other variants.

Like the exercise tapes, Zumba teaches fitness enthusiasts that exercise can be enjoyable. With this method, your focus is more on the choreography. Therefore, you might not realize you’re exercising when you move. Zumba also introduces fun cardio routines for guys who aren’t sure how to incorporate aerobics.

4. The Necessity of Desk Exercises
Desk jobs increased in the mid-20th century as numerous white-collar industries grew and needed more employees. As sedentary lifestyles rose, people needed ways to exercise in the office. People started exercising at their desks and focusing on their legs to increase blood flow. For instance, a 1979 Herman Miller guide promoted walking around the office and raising your legs to your thighs.

The rise of remote work has made desk exercises age well. If you work from home, you might move around less than in the office. Therefore, these leg movements may be necessary to maintain your fitness. Nowadays, some companies are opening in-house fitness centers to let their employees exercise.

5. The Engaging Live Workouts at Home
Working out at home slowly increased in the early 21st century but exploded in the 2020s. With gyms and fitness centers closed due to the pandemic, people couldn’t join together for their regular sessions. However, that quickly changed because of the internet. With live workouts at home, you could participate with people worldwide and break a sweat. Peloton sales grew by 232% because many wanted to join the trend.

While the Peloton craze has subsided, this trend has taught the future of fitness. Live workouts let you remotely exercise with your friends, whether cardio or strength training. Advanced technologies — such as exercise mirrors — provide real-time feedback and help your form.

6. The Challenge of CrossFit
Do you want to take your workouts to the next level? CrossFit increased intensity levels when it began in the early 2000s. Using this regimen, you do numerous high-intensity functional movements to maximize your fitness. It became popular because you work on your muscles, cardio, flexibility, and mobility. CrossFit has surpassed 10,000 centers worldwide, demonstrating its staying power in the fitness industry.

CrossFit introduced competition to traditional workout routines. It also taught people the importance of functional movements like jumping, lifting, and squatting. When you mimic everyday actions, you may feel more physically fit. While CrossFit isn’t as popular as in years past, you can still find people who enjoy these workouts.

LEARNING FROM PAST EXERCISE TRENDS
The exercise trends from decades past significantly differed from the ones you see today. However, there are still lessons to take. Use these old fitness fads to make your workout routines more holistic and enjoyable. You may even enjoy them enough to make them permanent in your fitness regimen today.

Oscar Collins is the editor-in-chief at Modded, and he’s written in the fitness and nutrition space for over five years. He has bylines at Amplified Soccer Athlete, What’s New in Fitness, and Primal Wear. Follow him on X @TModded for frequent updates on his work.

By Oscar Collins