Fitness Movement The
fitness movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s centered around
aerobic exercise. Millions of individuals became engaged in a variety of aerobic
activities, and 1 thousands of health
spas developed around the country to capitalize on his
2 interest in fitness, particularly aerobic dancing for
females. A number of fitness spas existed 3 to this aerobic fitness movement, even a national chain with spas in most
major cities. However, their 4 was not
on aerobics, but rather on weight-training programs designed to develop muscular
mass, 5 , and endurance in their
primarily male 6 . These fitness spas
did not seem to benefit 7 from the
aerobic fitness movement to better health, since medical opinion suggested that
weight-training programs 8 few, if any,
health benefits. In recent years, however, weight training has again become
increasingly. 9 for males and for
females. Many 10 programs focus not
only on developing muscular strength and endurance but on aerobic fitness as
well. 11 , most physical fitness tests
have usually included measures of muscular strength and endurance, not for
health related reasons, but primarily. 12 such fitness components have been related to performance in athletics.
13 , in recent years, evidence has
shown that training programs designed primarily to improve muscular strength and
endurance might also offer some health 14 as well. The American College of Sports Medicine now
15 that weight training be part of a total fitness program
for healthy Americans.