Women's Fitness Through The Ages, From Stretches To Zumba

Fitness fads come and go, with Thighmasters, ab rollers and aerobics videos cluttering cupboards and spare rooms across the nation, but some resonate more than others.

This video, made by Benenden Health, shows off the most prevalent exercise trends for women over the past century, from the humble stretches of the 1920s to the Hula Hooping craze of the 50s and the wonderfully 90s Tae Bo.

It follows on from various videos stemming from the vintage viral hit "Evolution of Dance", a comedy piece which showed a man's six minute journey through decades of dance moves.

On its website, Benenden says: "We are very lucky to live in an age where we can take our pick from numerous types of exercise, to find one that suits us.

"What you might not know is that keeping fit didn’t begin with Lycra and aerobics classes. Men and women have been keeping themselves in shape for more than a century and, in many cases, with strange equipment bearing little resemblance to what we use today."

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The Worst Fitness Advice

Don't lift heavy weights, it will bulk you up.(01 of05)

Unfortunately this is still a misconception that’s sometimes communicated to women who fear building “too much” muscle as a result of training with heavy weights. “Women aren’t built the same way that men are,” says Minna Herskowitz, a NFPT certified personal trainer and owner of Sandbox Fitness. “Our bodies are different—we don’t have as much testosterone as men.” She explained that unless you use supplements and significantly increase your caloric intake, lifting weights won’t cause you to gain excessive muscle mass. In fact, all women should consider adding some form of resistance training to their overall exercise routine, as it provides several important health benefits. Photo Credit: ShutterstockClick Here to See More Of The Worst Fitness Advice

If you want to lose weight, just do cardio.(02 of05)

“Cardio is an important factor in weight loss,” says Ali. “However, lifting weights allows the body to burn more calories at rest and it has a longer after-burn affect.” A truly effective weight loss plan will include both cardio and resistance training. Resistance training will help to increase your lean muscle mass. This can enhance weight loss efforts because muscle is “metabolically active” tissue, which in order to be maintained demands energy (read: calories) from your body over a longer period of time.Photo Credit: Shutterstock

No pain, no gain.(03 of05)

Within fitness circles and gym culture, the “no pain, no gain” idea has become somewhat of a widely accepted motivational tool. But as Williams points out, it’s actually just bad advice. “While exercising may result in temporary discomfort or a very uncomfortable feeling, it should not leave you with pain,” he said. “Pain is a warning sign from your body that there is something wrong.” Photo Credit: ShutterstockClick Here to See More Of The Worst Fitness Advice

'Confuse' your muscles by constantly switching up your routine.(04 of05)

“If you change too many exercises too often it’s difficult to actually get better and adapt to any of them,” says Rick Richey, a NASM certified trainer and Master Instructor and owner of Independent Training Spot. “If you want to get stronger, more muscular legs, doing hundreds of different leg exercises will not do you as much good as a well-designed, rehearsed, and repeated routine—they are called workout routines for a reason.” He recommends making sure that you’re not trying so hard to not be in a rut that you end up forgoing a smart path of progression. “Keep a routine consistent so as not to leave it before the results are recognized,” Richey added. “Switch it up by using a well establish system of periodization.”Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Don't drink water while working out.(05 of05)

Bright shared a funny story about a client who had been convinced not to drink water while working out because she thought it would extinguish the “fire” that starts in your belly while exercising. “A woman I trained believed this to be a literal fire that water would quench, and she was certain that the fire was what ‘stoked the metabolism.’ I think it's pretty obvious why this is terrible advice, but for the record, fires do not begin in the stomach. Go ahead and hydrate during exercise.”Click Here to See More Of The Worst Fitness AdvicePhoto Credit: Shutterstock

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