aerobics

aerobics — noun

1. a lively form of exercise, usually done in a class to music, that mixes jumping,

1.nounB1
Definition

a lively form of exercise, usually done in a class to music, that mixes jumping, stepping, and stretching to give your heart and lungs a workout and bring more oxygen into your body.

Example

Eitan joins an aerobics class at the gym every Tuesday after work.

collocation: aerobics class

Doing aerobics three times a week has helped Olu lose ten kilos.

pattern: do aerobics + frequency phrase

Common collocations
  • do aerobics
  • aerobics class
  • aerobics instructor
  • step aerobics
  • water aerobics
Synonyms
  • aerobic exercise

    more technical, includes any oxygen-boosting activity such as jogging or cycling, not only group classes

  • cardio

    informal short form for cardiovascular exercise; broader and used by gym-goers

  • Zumba

    a specific dance-based brand of aerobics; not a true synonym but often used in the same sentence

Antonyms
  • weight training

    builds muscle through resistance rather than raising the heart rate

  • yoga

    slower and focused on flexibility and breathing rather than cardio intensity

Grammar Patterns

do aerobics

aerobics class

Usage Note

Treated as a singular uncountable noun in everyday use, so it takes a singular verb: 'aerobics is fun', not 'aerobics are fun'. The verb 'do' is far more common than 'play' or 'practise' with this word.

Common Mistakes

I play aerobics every morning.
I do aerobics every morning.
use 'do' with aerobics, not 'play'.
Aerobics are good for the heart.
Aerobics is good for the heart.
although it ends in -s, the word takes a singular verb.

aerobics — plural noun

Word family

  • aerobic
    adjectiveB2
  • aerobically
    adverbC1
  • anaerobic
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe activity that raises the heart rate, but they sit at different points on a scale from broad to specific. 'Aerobic exercise' is the widest umbrella term and covers anything that uses extra oxygen over a long period, including walking and cycling. 'Cardio' is the casual gym word for the same idea — you'll hear 'I'm doing cardio today' on the treadmill. 'Aerobics' narrows things down to the choreographed group class, usually set to upbeat music with an instructor at the front. 'Zumba' is narrower still: a brand-name dance fitness class built on Latin music. So a learner could say, 'I do cardio every morning, sometimes aerobics on Tuesday, and a Zumba class on Friday.'

aerobics ↗cardioaerobic exerciseZumba

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aerobics class
  • aerobics instructor
  • aerobics studio
  • step aerobics
  • water aerobics

Phrases

  • do aerobics
  • go to aerobics
  • teach aerobics

Prepositions

  • aerobics for [group]
  • in aerobics

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

Coined in 1968 by American doctor Kenneth H. Cooper from the adjective 'aerobic', which itself joins the Greek 'aēr' (air) with 'bios' (life). Cooper used it as the title of his book on heart-and-lung training. Within a decade the word had jumped from medical writing into living rooms, where it picked up its modern image of music-led group exercise classes.