Over the last 2 decades, we’ve received tons of mail – including this recent email from Kelly Reid recalling the early days of Step:
Mary,
I can’t believe in August 2009 that Step Reebok will be 20 years old. I can remember the creation of “Bench Blasting”. A couple of health clubs in Atlanta offered Bench Blasting classes and a few benches were spread out around to other clubs. Powerhouse was the club I remember the most. I also remember Gin bringing her Bench Blasting flyers to the only vertical race I remember in Atlanta when we raced to the top of the IBM building. Bench Blasters did the best in that race.
I took classes from Gin at the old Gold’s Gym on Franklin road and remember when she went to Sportslife with her program. I can still see those 20 pound boxes in the aerobics room. Of course a lot of things changed with the creation of the plastic step. With Step Reebok Gin taught the country and the world “Step Aerobics”. Today tens of Millions of enthusiasts around the world enjoy Step Aerobic classes every week.
In 1991 Atlanta had the largest Step Class at the MARTA parking lot with 2000 participants. At that time the Braves were in the playoffs and Gin invited all 2000 to her house to watch the Braves play. Gin did pretty good with a program that her pundits said would not get off the ground.
I am glad to see Gin continue to come up with new exercise ideas. I refer people I work out with to her web site often. During the last decade many new group fitness classes like spinning, kickboxing, pilates and group power classes have been introduced in health clubs across the country. I believe that Step Aerobics set up a foundation for those other classes to flourish. Many of the women I take these classes with started with Step classes. I realized that you and Gin have passed a big milestone in recent birthdays. However, because of the way you both have taken care of yourselves, you would be hard pressed to find people that think that either one of you are out of your 30′s.
On the 20th anniversary of Step Reebok I have been distributing to work out “buddies” and other interested parties the “Step Aerobics Story”. I got tired of telling the story so I took a part from my book that Gin blessed a number of years ago. Please pass on my thanks to Gin for an outstanding legacy to group fitness.
Take care and keep up the good work!!!!
Mr. Kelly Reid
Goleta, Ca