The Ability of Instructors to Organize Aerobic Dance Exercise Into Effective Cardiovascular Training

In brief: The ability of five aerobics instructors to combine music and exercise movements into effective cardiovascular training was evaluated at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Respiratory gas exchange and heart rate determinations were made during dance exercise sequences that were estimated to represent low, medium, and high levels of exercise intensity. Besides the instructors, twelve subjects (ten women and two men) participated in the study. The results showed that the instructors tended to create exercise routines at lower and upper intensity levels (the latter having a higher risk of injury). This tendency accentuates the need for responsible accreditation of instructors.