Is aerobics a keep-fit routine or a thrilling show? The fast-growing sport is aiming to prove it can be both and boost its popularity worldwide. Russia recently hosted the world championships – for the first time ever.
There was no shortage of volunteers in the town of Dubna in the Moscow region, with more than a thousand athletes taking part in the 2008 World Fitness Championships (FISAF). And to the delight of the spectators, Russia won the step dancing event for the second time in the championships’ history. Fitness aerobics may look demanding but it is one of the safest sports, which event organisers say, requires no special skills. The main title contenders are mostly teenagers for whom sport is a way of life. The tournament’s next stop is the Caribbean island of Martinique in 2009.