Step Aerobics: 12 Workouts, Benefits, And Tips

Fun variations of a low-impact workout to get back in shape slow and steady.

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Written by Charushila Biswas, MSc (Biotechnology), ISSA Certified Fitness Nutritionist Charushila Biswas MSc (Biotechnology), ISSA Certified Fitness Nutritionist linkedin_icon Experience: 6 years
Edited by Ravi Teja Tadimalla, BSc, Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition and Health Ravi Teja Tadimalla BSc, Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition and Health linkedin_icon Experience: 10 years
Fact-checked by Payal Karnik, MSc (Biotechnology), Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach Payal Karnik MSc (Biotechnology), Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach linkedin_icon Experience: 2.5 years
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Woman Doing Step Aerobics Exercise

Image: Shutterstock

If you are looking for a quick solution for fat loss, take up step aerobic exercises! Aerobic exercises can help you reach your fat burning zone as these are a great way to lose weight, and also improve lung capacity, and increase heart rate. They lead to increased metabolism and help kick-start your body’s normal rhythm and functioning. Step aerobics make it more effective and fun. Regularly engaging in these workouts can aid in calorie deficit creation, which is essential for weight loss. Read on to learn about the best 12 step aerobics workouts, their benefits, and a few useful tips.

protip_icon Workout Blueprint: Step Aerobics
  • Frequency: 2 times per week
  • Benefits: Increase oxygen intake, burn calories, and improve muscle performance.
  • Equipment Needed: Step box, sturdy workout shoes.
  • Space Required: Small area
  • Assistance Required: No
  • Who Should Avoid: Anyone with knee, foot, ankle, or mobility issues.

12 Step Aerobics Exercises

1. Basic Right And Left

Basic right and left step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @NetFitTV

How To Do

  1. Stand in front of a step box and start marching along with the music beats.
  2. You may place your hands on your waist.
  3. Place your right foot on the step and then your left.
  4. Step down with the right foot first and then the left.
  5. Do this 10 times and then step up first with the left foot and then the right. Do this 10 times.

2. V Step

V-step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @expertvillage

How To Do

  1. Place a step box in front of you.
  2. Place your right foot on the step box in the diagonal direction.
  3. Place your left foot on the step box in the left diagonal direction. Your feet should be wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Place your right foot on the ground in its initial position and then the left foot.
  5. Do this 10 times, alternating between the right and left feet.

3. A-Step

A-step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @expertvillage

How To Do

  1. Place the step box vertically in front of you. Stand to its left.
  2. Place your right foot on the step and then the left.
  3. Place your right foot on the floor on your right side and then place the left.
  4. Place your left foot on the step and then the right.
  5. Get down on the floor with your left foot first to your left side and then your right foot.
  6. Do this 15 times.

4. Tap Up

Tap up step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @Lespasdestep

How To Do

  1. Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Place your right foot on the left side of the step box.
  3. Tap your left foot on the step box and get down on the floor with the left foot first and then the right.
  4. Place your left foot on the right side of the step box.
  5. Tap your right foot on the step box and get down on the floor with the right foot first and then the left.

5. Turnstep Move

Turnstep move step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @FitOutsideTheBox

How To Do

  1. Place your right foot on the step.
  2. Place your left foot on the step a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
  3. Place your right foot behind the left, on the floor. Turn your body to the left slightly.
  4. Place your left foot on the floor for a second and quickly step up on the step box with it again.
  5. Place your left foot on the step.
  6. Place your right foot on the step a little wider than shoulder-width apart.
  7. Place your left foot behind the right, on the floor. Turn your body to the right slightly.
  8. Place your right foot on the floor for a second and quickly step up on the step box with your right foot again.
protip_icon Quick Tip
Buy heavy-duty polyurethane, polyethylene, PVC, and ABS aerobic steps for convenient stacking and height adjusting.

6. T Step

T-step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @expertvillage

How To Do

  1. Stand near a step box.
  2. Place your right foot on the step box and then the left.
  3. Place your right foot on the ground on your right.
  4. Place your left foot on the ground on your left.
  5. Get back up on the step box. Place right foot first and then the left.
  6. Get back to the starting position. Place the right foot back and then the left.
  7. Do this 15 times.

7. Across The Top

Across the top step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @FitOutsideTheBox

How To Do

  1. Place a step box on your right.
  2. Step on the step box from the right and get down on the left.
  3. Step on the box from the left and get down on the right.
  4. Do this 20 times.

8. Charleston

Charleston step aerobics exercise for weight loss
Image: YouTube @rissarue416

How To Do

  1. Place your left foot on the step box in front of your right leg.
  2. Lift your right foot off the floor, lean back a little, and kick your right leg.
  3. Place the right leg back on the floor.
  4. Place the left foot on the floor and repeat from step one.

9. Grapevine

A group of women doing the Grapevine aerobics step
Image: Shutterstock

How To Do

  1. Stand with your feet close together.
  2. Take a step to the right with your right foot.
  3. Place your left foot behind the right.
  4. Bring your right foot beside the left foot.
  5. Take a step to the left with your left foot.
  6. Place your right foot behind your left foot.
  7. Bring your left foot beside the right foot.
  8. Do this 20 times. 

10. Repeater

How To Do

  1. Stand with your feet close together.
  2. Place your left leg on the step box diagonally to the right.
  3. Lift your right leg off the floor, bend your knees, and kick up. Do not crunch.
  4. Place the right foot back on the floor. Then, place your left leg on the floor.
  5. Place your right leg on the step diagonally to the left.
  6. Lift your left leg off the floor, bend your knees, and kick it up. Do not crunch.
  7. Place the left foot back on the floor. Then, place your right leg on the floor.
  8. Do it 15 times.

11. High Knee March

High Knee Marching Exercise For Weight Loss
Image: IStock

How To Do

  1. Stand straight as you keep your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Keep your arms at your sides.
  3. Lift your right leg off the ground, bend your knees, and lift it as high as you can, aiming for the waist level.
  4. Swing your left arm forward and right arm backward.
  5. Repeat the same with the left leg.
  6. Perform this for 2 to 4 sets of 15 to 30 repetitions per leg.

12. Low Step-Ups

Low Step-Up Exercise For Weight Loss
Image: IStock

How To Do

  1. Stand in front of a bench with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Lift your right foot and place it on the bench.
  3. Press through your right heel and elevate your body until your other foot is on the bench.
  4. Get back on the ground by lowering your right foot first. This is one repetition.
  5. Repeat with the left leg.
  6. Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 repetitions for each leg.

Your overall fitness may increase significantly if you include step aerobics in your weekly training routine. To maximize weight reduction and health advantages, try to get in two or three sessions of at least thirty minutes of step aerobics every week.

These are the 12 best step aerobics you can do at home or the gym. You can also add other postures, weights, resistance bands, etc. to step aerobics. Here are a few examples.

Different Aerobic Step Bench Exercises

Here is a compilation of the different types of aerobic step exercises that can be included in your regular workout routine:

  1.  Plank Holds On Steps: A core conditioning exercise that works on abdominal muscles and obliques.
  1.  Straight Arm Plank-Ups: A core conditioning exercise for beginners that works on the muscles in shoulders, arms, abdomen, and obliques.
  1. Lateral Box Jumps: A plyometrici  A form of exercise involving fast and repeated stretching movements within short periods of time to increase muscle strength and flexibility. exercise for beginners that works on the adductor muscles of the body.
  1. Weight Plate Step-Up Knee Drives: A lower body conditioning exercise for intermediates that provides strength to the body and makes the core stable through proper balance and coordination. Therefore, it is one of the best exercises to build lower body strength.
  1. Double Leg Drop Cable Pullover: A core conditioning exercise for advanced exercisers that work on the muscles in the arms, core, and back.

protip_icon Did You Know?
Fitness instructor and athlete Gin Miller was the first to introduce step aerobics. Her doctor asked her to step up and down on a milk crate after a knee injury in the 1980s.

Doing step aerobics regularly will help you reap the following benefits.

15 Benefits Of Step Aerobics

Aerobics or cardio has many health benefits. Adding a step box or doing step exercises without a step box also increases oxygen supply to the cells and helps in the following ways:

  1. It helps improve body composition (1).
  1. Improves functional fitness in the elderly (2).
  1. May improve the neuromuscular function of the legs (3).
  1. Increases oxygen uptake (4).
  1. Improves muscle performance and cardiovascular fitness when mixed with resistance training (5).
  1. Step aerobics, along with resistance training, may lead to increased energy levels and help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health (6).
  1. It helps improve sleep quality in postmenopausal women (7).
  1. Step aerobics can lead to reduced anxiety and depression as well as anger, tension, and fatigue (8).
  1. Improves balance and quality of life in the elderly (9).
  1. Burns calories and improves confidence levels leading to improved self-esteem.
  1. It is a fun and low-impact exercise with amazing results.
  1. It helps burn a huge amount of calories.
  1. Speeds up the process of effective weight loss.
  1. Tones up a few major muscles in the body, including the ones present in the buttocks and legs.
  1. It increases the flexibility of the body over time.

Step Aerobics Tips 

  • Put on a pair of cross-training shoes while practicing step aerobics.
  • Warm-up for 10 minutes so that your muscles become relaxed, and your heart rate goes up.
  • Place your step bench on a perfectly flat surface and start from the lowest level of it until you get comfortable with the entire process.
  • Your foot should be placed completely on the bench whenever you take a step.
  • Try to maintain a good posture all through your practice period. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and abs tight to avoid injuries.
  • Make sure you have a pre-workout meal at least 1 hour before starting your workout session. Also, stay hydrated.

As a beginner, start with a lower step height to avoid injuries and gradually increase it as your strength and confidence grow. It is important to pay attention to your body. If you feel any pain or discomfort, change the exercises to a different level of difficulty or suitability.

Infographic: A Comprehensive Guide To Step Aerobics

Step aerobics is a great way to burn calories, lose weight, and improve cardiovascular health. It also helps relieve stress and promote better sleep. In the infographic below, we have compiled a comprehensive guide that gives you a look into two easy step aerobic exercises you can include in your routine, along with their benefits. Check it out!

a comprehensive guide to step aerobics (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Step aerobic exercises are fun-to-do total body workouts and they lead to enhanced overall fitness. The exercises bring both physical and mental health benefits to the table. These exercises, coupled with resistance training, ensure additional benefits for the body. For example, they help in calorie burning, losing extra pounds, allowing increased oxygen uptake and flexibility, aiding muscle toning and performance, reducing stress levels, and managing hypertensioni  A medical condition where the force of the blood is high on the artery walls, causing shortness of breath and headaches. , which leads to improved mood. These aerobic endurance exercises also lead to improved endurance, reduced risk of chronic diseases through improved immune function, and improved cardiovascular health. Invest in a good pair of shoes and make sure your step bench is perfectly placed on a flat surface. Ask a doctor or physiotherapist if you can do these exercises and get started with them as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories do you burn in 30 minutes of step aerobics?

You can burn around 100-200 calories in a 30 minutes step aerobics session.

Is step aerobics bad for the knees?

Step aerobics can strain your knees. Avoid it if you have a knee injury or are recovering from knee surgery.

How effective is step aerobics for weight loss compared to other forms of exercise?

Step aerobics can be a very powerful weight loss exercise because it increases heart rate and burns calories. Research indicates that step aerobics combined with a healthy diet may result in noticeable weight loss. It is often recommended to incorporate it within a thorough fitness regimen that incorporates a variety of exercises for the best results.

Is step aerobics good for toning the legs?

Yes, step aerobics is good for toning the legs. It works on the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves.

How often should you do step aerobics?

You may do it twice a week. Add other forms of exercise, like weight training, resistance bands, dancing, swimming, and playing a sport, for full conditioning of the body.

Is step aerobics a HIIT?

No, step aerobics is an aerobic exercise (cardio). HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is an anaerobic exercise and doesn’t use oxygen to fuel the workout. HIIT uses glycogen and/or fat stores to fuel the exercise.

Does step aerobics tone the stomach?

Yes, step aerobics helps tone your stomach, target your core and abdominal muscles, and trim your waist.

Is step aerobics good for osteoporosisi  A medical condition where the bones become weak and brittle due to a decrease in bone mineral density, increasing the risk of fractures. ?

Yes. In studies, step aerobics was found to help boost fitness levels in post-menopausal women with low bone mass (10).

Key Takeaways

  • Aerobic exercises help lose weight and improve overall body composition.
  • It tones the muscles in the legs and buttocks.
  • Postmenopausal women can hugely benefit from it as it improves sleep quality over time.
  • It leads to improved balance and coordination in the elderly.

Illustration: Step Aerobics: 10 Workouts Benefits And Tips

Step Aerobics Exercises for weight loss

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

References

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.

  1. Scharff-Olson, Michele, et al. “The physiological effects of bench/step exercise.” Sports Medicine 21.3 (1996): 164-175.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8776007//
  2. Hallage, Tatiane, et al. “The effects of 12 weeks of step aerobics training on functional fitness of elderly women.” The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 24.8 (2010): 2261-2266.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20634751//
  3. Behrens, Martin, et al. “Modified step aerobics training and neuromuscular function in osteoporotic patients: a randomized controlled pilot study.” Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery 137.2 (2017): 195-207.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5250667/
  4. Sturm, Barbara, et al. “Moderate-intensity exercise training with elements of step aerobics in patients with severe chronic heart failure.” Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 80.7 (1999): 746-750.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10414756//
  5. KRAEMER, WILLIAM J., et al. “Resistance training combined with bench-step aerobics enhances women’s health profile.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 33.2 (2001): 259-269.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11224816//
  6. Mendes, Romeu, et al. “Can a single session of a community-based group exercise program combining step aerobics and bodyweight resistance exercise acutely reduce blood pressure?.” Journal of human kinetics 43.1 (2014): 49-56.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4332184/
  7. Cai, Zong-Yan, Kenny Wen-Chyuan Chen, and Huei-Jhen Wen. “Effects of a group-based step aerobics training on sleep quality and melatonin levels in sleep-impaired postmenopausal women.” The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 28.9 (2014): 2597-2603.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24552792//
  8. Kennedy, M. M., and M. Newton. “Effect of exercise intensity on mood in step aerobics.” The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness 37.3 (1997): 200-204.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9407751//
  9. Dunsky, Ayelet, et al. “The use of step aerobics and the stability ball to improve balance and quality of life in community-dwelling older adults–a randomized exploratory study.” Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 71 (2017): 66-74.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28363133//
  10. Effects of short-term step aerobics exercise on bone metabolism and functional fitness in postmenopausal women with low bone mass
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27613719/
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Rakesh Rathod
Rakesh RathodCertified Personal Trainer
Rakesh Rathod is a certified fitness trainer and yoga instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. He also has a diploma in nutrition, level 1 in Krav maga, and is a bodybuilding contest coach.

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Charushila Biswas
Charushila BiswasHealth & Wellness Writer
Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 6 years, she has authored more than 400 articles on diet, lifestyle, exercises, healthy food, and fitness equipment. She strives to inform, educate, and motivate her readers via authentic, straightforward, and fact-checked information.

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Ravi Teja Tadimalla
Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief
Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

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Payal Karnik
Payal KarnikSenior Health & Wellness Writer
Payal Karnik is a senior health and wellness writer and a Certified Health and Nutrition Life Coach. She is a biotechnology graduate from the University of Mumbai with a keen interest in writing and a natural curiosity for science.

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