FUNatics

Whether out of fanaticism or of fun, Cebu is hosting the first-ever biggest marathon that will bring together young and old, big and small, passionate and passive in one workout - aerobics.

The three-hour marathon on September 24 will feature aero-jam, high and low impact, hip-hop, Latin dancing and cardio-boxing that reasonably won't exempt or leave out anybody. Participants from colleges and universities including the University of San Carlos, Southwestern University, Cebu Normal University, University of San Jose-Recoletos, AMA Computer College as well as physical education majors and aerobics students and instructors from fitness centers and gyms in Cebu will groove, huff, pump and grind to the finish.

Some 1,000 are expected in the event based on estimates from event organizers, the Cebu chapter of the Association of Fitness Professionals of the Philippines. Optimism is gyrating and infectious but organizers said this crowd would have been unimaginable almost 23 years ago when aerobics was making easy-walk steps in Cebu.

Evolution of Aerobics Revolution

Ma. Theresa Q. Legaspi, technical director of the fitness association, traces back the Cebu aerobics evolution to 1982. She said most of the routine then was focused on stretching. It took a decade before the high and low impact routine was adopted and another five years for choreography to diversify into Latin aerobics and other dance segments.

What had seemingly brought about slow steps in aerobics during its first ten years is the lack of exposure to fitness trends. Aerobics instructors had to go to Manila or abroad to learn new routines and programs. Technology changed the beat. In 2000 aerobics instructors could now surf for latest choreography that often came with music in MP3 format for easy download.

It was also in 2000 when fitness in Cebu became fashion. Gyms and fitness centers opened just about everywhere in Metro Cebu bringing about the demand for aerobics instructors.

Picking up from trends, schools and universities saw how aerobics enlivened physical education classes. Growing popularity moved the education department to dance and step into the beat as they incorporated aerobics in the curriculum.

Aerobics was professionalized making it a requirement for instructors to go through training and secure a license before handling a class. Through the years, the discipline to becoming a professional aerobics instructor had become a tough workout.

All this fanaticism isn't pure passion and fashion. Aerobics is a workout regimen that conditions the heart and lungs by improving oxygen consumption and enable the heart to use oxygen more efficiently. Continuous rhythmic movement using large muscle groups in the shoulders, hips, abdomen and brain increases oxygen intake and flow throughout the body.

Incorporating dance in the usual muscle training has evolved aerobics from a weight reduction therapy to a sport to a passion. From passion it evolved to fanaticism and then a 360-degree turn to fun. In a society weighed down with excesses, aerobics starts with the right mindset: Be not conformed to society at large.