Aerobics

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈɹəʊbɪks/

Definitions

1. A structured workout method that incorporates rhythmic exercise routines aimed at enhancing cardiovascular health alongside flexibility and body strength
2. A type of physical activity designed to improve heart and lung capacity through coordinated movements and exercises while also promoting muscle endurance
3. A form of exercise characterized by rhythmic physical movements that boost cardiovascular fitness and enhance overall muscular coordination and endurance

Etymology: The word "aerobics" is a plural form, so its story is really that of the singular "aerobic," which English took from French "aérobie." That French term combines Greek "aḗr," meaning air, with Greek "bíos," meaning life, so an aerobic organism is one that lives with air. The name came from biology, where it described microbes that need oxygen to survive, long before anyone applied it to exercise. The shift to fitness happened in the 1960s, when the American physician Kenneth Cooper used "aerobics" for a book on his oxygen-based conditioning programme, and the term then spread to dance classes that combined rhythmic movement with heart-pumping exercise. The sense of "aerobic" as "involving oxygen" survives in the scientific use, while the plural now names the exercise routine itself.

Synonyms: exercise, fitness, workout, training, calisthenics

Antonyms: sedentariness, inactivity