I love step, and I sincerely wish it were still trendy!  When I mention that I do step, it’s like I walked into New York’s Bryant Park during fashion week wearing a Dress Barn sweater set from 1994.  I get reactions ranging from “wow, how 90’s of you” (that’s a direct quote) to a sort of polite, thinly-disguised pity, to a look of total incomprehension.  This leads me to wonder on an almost daily basis:  why did step go out of style?  After some deep thought, I think I have finally come out with an airtight theory:  real estate.

Ok, let me explain.  When it comes to working out in a gym, not all that much has actually changed over the years since the early 80’s.  Really!  You can go to a designated area and:

• Lift free weights
• Use the stationery weight machines
• Do body weight exercises like pull ups, leg lifts, push ups, or abs
• Use cardio machines like treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and rowing machines
• Take group classes

Out of all the options on the list above, there’s only one way to work out that can, and does, change frequently:  the type of group classes offered.  Group classes are usually held in only one or two designated rooms in a gym.  Those rooms are the only places to accommodate classes like floor aerobics, step aerobics, boot camp, dance, kickboxing, NIA, Capoeira, yoga, Pilates, group strength, Zumba, tabata, barre, rebounding, or Kangoo jumping.  I’ve even seen Feldenkreis in gyms!  People are coming up with new ideas for group fitness classes all the time–particularly cardio classes.  So here’s my theory for why step aerobics is no longer in style: as new, interesting classes are created, something else has got to go.  There just isn’t room for everything in the gym!  There’s not enough available real estate!  So floor aerobics went first, and step was next to go.

One advantage to working out at home is that you don’t have to throw out the old with the new and shiny.  I can do Turbo Fire one day, and a killer vintage Cathe step workout the next.  You can’t get that kind of variety in a gym!  So what’s so great about step that I want to keep doing it so much?

• Step is an amazing way to get a cardio workout in a small amount of space.  There is a mini-trend of double-step workouts in gyms recently (I think they’re trying to figure out how to use the equipment they already own).  However, basic step workouts require that you stay pretty close to your step.  You can’t get too far from it, because these workouts were designed for group classes, and you would trip over someone else’s step if you roamed too far!  So you can work out hard in relatively small area.
• It’s easy to store a step—I’ve stored my step and risers under my living room sofa for more than 10 years!
• Although they seem a little expensive at $90, that same step has seen at least 4 sofas come and go.  I bought it in 1997 and it’s still going strong.
• I’ve heard people complain that stepping bothers their knees, but I find that step actually strengthens my knees.  For me, using a 6” step (one set of risers) or sometimes just the platform, is key. I’ve heard people complain about knee pain over time from using a higher 8” step.  I twisted my right knee playing tennis years ago, and it only bothers me when I’m NOT regularly stepping!
• When the choreography is fun and you know it well, you really enjoy working out and the time flies.  It’s easy to get that endorphin high when you’re done.
• You can get a very intense cardio workout without a lot of high impact.  Even though there can be jumping, to me, it doesn’t feel comparable to the pounding you can get from repetitive high impact activities on the floor.
• I’ve gotten great weight-loss and toning results from step.

I haven’t written reviews of all these yet, but here are some great step workouts to check out!

Beginner/Intermediate

• Gilad, Step and Tone
• Kathy Smith, Great Buns and Thighs Step Workout
• Kendall Hogan Fat Blaster: The Next Step
• Christi Taylor, Mission Possible
• Cathe Friedrich, Low Impact Step
• Christi Taylor Humble Beginnings—9701 workout

Intermediate/Advanced

• Christi Taylor—Solid Gold Step
• Christi Taylor—Totally Cool Step
• Christi Taylor Humble Beginnings—9802 workout
• Cathe Friedrich Rhythmic Step
• Cathe Friedrich Cardio and Weights (see my review) and Cathe Freidrich Imax 2 (same DVD)
• Tap Less, Step More (see my review)
• G-Force Superstep (I’m sorry to recommend this since it’s out of print, but it’s awesome.  If you see it anywhere, snap it up!)
• Amy Bento Advanced Step Challenge 3
• Patrick Goudeau Not Your Momma’s Step (works better without carpet)