Half time - music guidelines for aerobic workouts - AFXX Professional Edge

American Fitness, May-June, 1993 by Ken Alan

In theory, there's a valid point to instructors' rationale for using fast music. Music below 125 is "unmotivating" and "not energetic enough for advanced students," they claim. However, according to Step Reebok guidelines, there are four major reasons for staying at a moderate tempo (118-122 bpm) when stepping.

1. Exceeding 122 bpm increases the risk of compromising stepping technique. Participants may not have time to fully extend when stepping up. The faster pace is countered by the fact you are not going through a full range of motion.

2. Stepping with constantly flexed knees may lead to joint problems. Orthopedic specialists have warned for years not to load the knee excessively in a flexed position. That tends to occur with a faster tempo. Without enough time for full extension, overuse trauma and injury to the knee is possible.

3. With faster music, there is insufficient time for the ball and heel of the foot to contact the floor, aiding with shock absorption. As in high-impact aerobics--the faster the music, the less time there is to let the heels drop. This increases risk of achilles tendinitis as well as plantar fascitis, in which the arch becomes agitated from excessive stress.

4. You are asking students to cover the same amount of space in a shorter period of time when using faster music. In traditional aerobics, you can make movements smaller to stay in sync, but with step, the height of the bench is stationary. You have to go eight or 10 inches up whether you are at 118 or 128 bpm. There is a greater chance of overshooting or undershooting the platform, and not placing the foot correctly.

The music guidelines from Step Reebok are 118-122 bpm. Not only has this recommendation been researched to provide adequate stimulus for aerobic training, but it has been shown most people can step safely at this range.

Advanced students may pressure you to go faster. Here are some recommendations to satisfy the "speed stepaholics" while maintaining safety.

* Encourage advanced students to raise their platform height (within appropriate guidelines) for higher intensity.

* Give options for more intense choreography, such as traveling patterns, or repeaters and propulsions within current guidelines. Look at your use of levers for increased intensity.

* Explain that 118-122 bpm is the optimal range for burning calories, muscle conditioning and reducing risk of injury. Use the analogy of driving 55 mph. The 55 mph law brought about a decrease in fatalities and more optimal gas mileage. With stepping, working within the recommended bpm balances the combination of burning calories and safety.

* Don't rely on music speed for energy level. In addition to speed, there is structure, style, melody, lyrics and other attributes to be heard. Allow your personality, teaching methods and the music style to motivate the workout, not just speed.

Step training has proven to be an effective workout. Let's use discretion in teaching it. If there's a place for fast music, it's in high-impact--as long as those heels touch the floor.