This Was The Hottest Fitness Trend the Year You Were Born

Fitness guru Denise Austin got major buzz after appearing on the Jack LaLanne show in 1981, going on to land her own TV show and release multiple workout videos focusing on aerobics and strong abs.

Actress Jane Fonda launched a fitness movement when she released her first workout video—an aerobics tape called Workout—on April 24, 1982, the History channel reports. The first of many bestselling videos, Workout further solidified the fitness fashion trends of neon spandex, sweat bands, and leg warmers.

This Canadian TV show started in 1982 and ran through 1984, according to the LA Times, which called it "television's most successful aerobics show." It made at-home workouts just as accessible as VHS tapes.

This sport was trendy in the early 80s, according to the LA Times, and was picked up by many recreational athletes before falling out of popularity later in the decade.

This dance-based class, started by Judi Sheppard Missett became one of the fastest growing franchises in the country during this time, according to Forbes.

The release of Bowflex, a full-body resistance workout machine, gave people the ability to have practically a full gym in their house without a ton of different equipment.

This ’87 workout video is all about moves that target and tone the bum, and even got a shout-out in the movie Clueless.

Beloved aerobics legend Richard Simmons came out with Sweatin’ to the Oldies, this year, his bestselling fitness video set to a classic hits playlist.

In 1989, CNN first aired "Fitness Breaks With Jake," 60-second, twice-daily mini workouts instructed by trainer Jake Steinfeld, The Washington Post reported. Viewers liked Steinfeld’s friendly personality and the swimsuit-clad women he demo-ed the exercises with.

Step aerobics classes were also created this year by Gin Miller, according to The Washington Post, adding a new and challenging twist to the already-popular aerobics workouts in gyms.

Suzanne Somers released the Thighmaster, a contraption that users squeezed together with their inner thighs, this year, reports NBC News. Infomercials were everywhere, and exercise fanatics sought out the tool to get toned, slim legs.

The infomercial for the Gazelle Elliptical was all over TV in the early 90s. It famously featured Tony Little—a ripped, blonde pony-tailed trainer—gliding along on the home-gym machine.

This women’s-only gym opened in 1992 to great success—it offered a judgment-free zone for ladies who didn’t want to work out around body-builder types.

This bulky cross-country-simulating machine was released in 1993 and became a staple in many wealthy fitness fans’ home gyms.

Johnny Goldberg developed the concept of Spinning as a workout long before SoulCycle was on the scene, and opened a gym devoted to Spin classes in Culver City, according to the LA Times.

The Ab Roller, a device meant to make crunches easier on the back, came out in 1994. And the abs-craze continued in 1995, when trainer Jaime Brenkus released the 8 Minute Abs video series. The world was hooked on the quick workouts and promise of a flat, toned tummy, ready for crop tops.

Trainer Billy Blanks dominated the 90s with his Tae Bo workout videos, according to Sports Illustrated. Tae Bo is a combo of taekwondo and boxing. It gained major popularity when he opened an LA gym and picked up some celebrity clients, like Paula Abdul, before releasing the method to the masses in video form.

Shows like MTV’s The Grind, which featured people dancing to hip-hop and rap, inspired a new wave of aerobics and workout videos, and made dancing up a sweat a trendy way to fit in exercise.

Celebrity trainer Barry Jay comes up with the idea for Barry’s Bootcamp, a class that focuses on cardio (running) and weights-based strength training in one session. He opened the first studio in West Hollywood later that year.