A lot has changed for women in the last 100 years in North America. Women have fought and won for their rights to vote, to work, to own property and to be considered equal under the law. These days, the glass ceiling is breaking for many women in their workplaces and the gender pay gap is getting smaller.
Women’s fitness and the way women’s bodies are viewed has also come a long way in the last 100 years. Fitness trends have changed drastically.
Fitness in the Roaring ‘20s
It is a little surprising to learn that one of the big fitness trends 100 years ago was a quick-fix exercise machine that promised fast results with minimum effort. The Vibro-Slim allowed women to stand still while the vibrating strap allegedly shook away the pound. In these years before athletic clothing, women could be found using this machine while wearing their Sunday best.
The Post-War Years
After the end of World War II, women took some of their newfound independence and started to exercise more deliberately. Group exercise classes started to pop up and women set aside more time for exercise.
Freedom in the ‘50s and ‘60s
In the 1950s and 1960s, exercise started to get women’s heart rate up. Fun activities like hula hooping and the first aerobics classes became available. It was during these decades when women’s fitness became more socially acceptable.
Fitness Trends of the ‘70s and ‘80s
It wasn’t until the 1970s that jogging became a popular form of exercise. More women started to run through parks and residential neighbourhoods for their workouts. Aerobic classes like Jazzercise, step and powerwalking also became popular. VHS machines in homes meant that women could enjoy a class-style exercise from the comfort of their own living rooms. Famous exercise gurus like Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda rose quickly in their popularity.
Investing in Health in the ‘90s and ‘00s
Home exercise moved to DVDs and discs like Tae Bo and Buns of Steel became incredibly popular. Inline skating, spin classes and NordicTrack machines all exploded onto the scene. Individuals started to invest more money into their exercise routines with expensive machines and multi-disc workout programs. More yoga and Pilates studios also popped up around North America in the 2000s.
The Modern Fitness Industry
The women’s fitness industry continues to build on these similar activities. Class-based exercise is still popular and women are enjoying group circuit training and high-impact cardio using Kangoo jumping boots. Companies like Peloton have combined in-home exercise equipment with the convenience of the exercise tapes of the ‘80s to create video-based spin classes.
In 100 years, the views surrounding exercise for women have progressed from being frowned upon to an expectation that everyone should be participating in some form of intentional exercise. These days, there aren’t many areas where women are not welcome to sweat it out and become stronger.
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