They were promised the body beautiful and their mantra was “No pain no gain”. Two decades later they are feeling it again — in their knees, hips and lower backs. They are the casualties of the aerobics boom.
Now they are more likely to be seen in physiotherapy. Nicki de Lyon, of Sports and Spinal Clinics, London, said: “They have knee and hip and lower back problems. It was not just the constant impact on hard floors, which put pressure on joints, but the twisting movements. And in the 1980s there had not been any research into the right footwear.”
The fitness industry was in its infancy. Robin Gargrave, of the YMCA, said: “People didn’t know what they were doing.
“In those days it wasn’t critical to have qualifications. There weren’t really any around.” Now 54, he claims to be “fitter than a fiddle” — but his routines were always “moderate”.
