# What is aerobics and why are the classes filled with almost all girls? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662 "2014-12-19T14:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Doughbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Doughbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doughbag)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/21 "2014-12-19T16:34:25Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Were there any days when that was _actually_ true? I mean for normal people, not just professionals and models. I can’t see the average person deciding to wear a thong leotard in public. People wear [all sort of things](https://www.paramountzone.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/2/221_7.jpg) in public… ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/22 "2014-12-19T16:45:13Z")
There are all types of aerobics classes and you’ll see all types of people in them. The classes which are more dance-centric tend to have more women. However, there are other types of classes which attract good numbers of men as well. Classes like boot camp and kick boxing are popular with men. There are also classes which incorporate weights and those are also popular with men. I really enjoy taking classes because I find them much more motivating than working out on my own. I can take an intense class for an hour and the time flies by, but 15 minutes on the treadmill seems like forever. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/23 "2014-12-19T17:09:52Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Were there any days when that was _actually_ true? I mean for normal people, not just professionals and models. I can’t see the average person deciding to wear a thong leotard in public. Yeah, people did wear stuff like that to exercise classes. My friend and I joined an aerobics studio when I was in high school (1988-ish) and we were the weirdos because we were wearing baggy gym shorts and t-shirts. Thongs weren’t necessarily that common, but leotard/tights outfits were commonplace. [These women would not have looked a bit out of place](http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2013/07/1980smusic.jpg). By the early 1990s, it became more common to wear “bike shorts” and a t-shirt or something. ---
**Author:** ![mind\_the\_gap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@mind\_the\_gap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mind_the_gap)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/24 "2014-12-19T17:35:27Z")
RUNNING COACH, thanks for clearing up my muddy memory. I’m glad I was even close after all the years. Anyway you get there though, aerobics is intense and very useful as a method of getting very fit. And as far as the women in the class go, some of them in my classes became friends and everyone in the class gave each other crap if we missed a class. Not in a bad way, just to be encouraging. It was a gas to be in synch with the others. FWIW, I wore the unofficial male exercise costume of bike shorts and T shirt. It worked ok, but the shirt got heavy and clumsy when soaked w/ sweat. mind the gap ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/25 "2014-12-19T19:37:20Z")
I certainly enjoy aerobics classes…from afar. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/26 "2014-12-19T19:54:45Z")
I’ve done some of those classes that tend to be all women, aerobics, Zumba, yoga. They are good workouts. Sometimes I get the stink-eye from some of the women who, I assume, thought they were taking some kind of ‘no boyz allowed’ class. So I like to make sure there is at least one other guy. It must be what it’s like for a woman to be in a room with all men, some of whom believe she has no place there. ---
**Author:** ![wmnpwr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wmnpwr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmnpwr)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/27 "2014-12-20T06:27:55Z")
> [@R3d\_Anonymous](#): > > Yep, I am a teenage guy turning 17 next month. > > The class sounds cool. I think I’ll take it next year. > > Also, none of the other choices really pique my interest so… You’re not even seventeen but spelled “piqued” correctly- wow, I’m impressed. Forget the aerobics class and go for the girls in the book club. They’ll be all over you. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/28 "2014-12-20T09:02:20Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Most girls are afraid of weights. > They think they are going to get huge muscles if they even look at a weight, so they do Aerobics instead. Nah, it’s not that, it’s just bloody depressing when you come away from your workout with aching arms feeling “wow, that really did something” … and six weeks later you’re still lifting the _exact same weight_ ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/29 "2014-12-20T20:52:13Z")
Yoga classes are normally about 90% women too, at least around here . ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/30 "2014-12-20T23:12:04Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > Were there any days when that was _actually_ true? I mean for normal people, not just professionals and models. I can’t see the average person deciding to wear a thong leotard in public. People wore thong leotards over regular tights or bike shorts, in every instance where I saw one in real life. I did see thong swimsuits on the beach, but never inside a gym without some other piece of clothing under it. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662/31 "2014-12-21T00:48:13Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Right. Let the girls hit on you. Not aerobics, but judo. Leotard and blue jeans. I would sneak lots of glances in class. Turned out she was roommates with a friend’s girlfriend. Suggested we double date THREE DAYS after I had taken up with my future wife. I was SO tempted to find an excuse to have my cake and eat it too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-aerobics-and-why-are-the-classes-filled-with-almost-all-girls/707662.md?page=1)