'There was just lots of neon spandex': A look back at the aerobics craze of the late '80s

Kate Lee still chuckles when she thinks back to teaching aerobics classes in Vancouver in the late '80s.

There was the music. There was the hair. And then there were the outfits. 

"There was just lots of neon spandex — loads. The shinier the better," said Lee, who still teaches what is now called group fitness with the Vancouver Park Board. 

"There were headbands, there were wristbands."

From the Archives: Aerobics Championships

7 years ago

Duration 2:07

Kevin, Les and Rob flexing their muscles and working up a sweat to perfect their routine for the National Aerobic Championship in B.C.

Lee was 25 years old when she began teaching aerobics in 1985. The high-energy fitness classes were wildly popular, driven by celebrities like Jane Fonda. 

For many, aerobics in the '80s wasn't just about losing weight — it was about coming together to share a joint interest in loud music to match the equally loud outfits.

Fitness classes like Jazzercise had already paved the way for music-focused, choreography-driven exercise.

From the Archives: Sweating it out to jazzercise

7 years ago

Duration 2:34

Vancouver was no stranger to the jazzercise craze of the '70s and '80s .

When Lee was teaching in the '80s, she would arrive at a community centre early and blast her tunes — homemade mix-tapes, usually with dance remakes of disco songs like Knock on Wood  — to attract participants who would crowd into the dimly-lit exercise room.

The music was so loud, neighbours would often complain.

"It was almost cult-like," she said. "It was just a ridiculous craze."

The trend went beyond fitness classes to later encapsulate competitions, like this one that was held 30 years ago at Oakridge Mall:

From the Archives: National Championships at the Oakridge Mall

7 years ago

Duration 0:50

Competitors from around Canada suited up and kicked into high gear for the chance to be Canadian champions.

Classes today may have changed their tune, but Lee thinks recent fitness trends like Zumba and CrossFit are driven by the many of the same goals.

"People join and they stay because it's a very social thing to do," she said, adding that the group activities bring people together over a shared goal and interests. 

Lee sees music and choreography as a big part of fitness classes like Zumba, but that's not to say nothing has changed. 

"I think more and more we're seeing that the consumer isn't just looking to get skinny," she said.

"People want to be strong, they want to be healthy, and they know how to ask for it."

Community centres now offer a plethora of options for health-minded folks — from yoga to strengthening classes. 

No word yet on if polka aerobics will ever return, though.

From the archives: polka aerobics

7 years ago

Duration 3:05

A new type of exercise emerges during the height of the aerobics craze of the late '80s