Jazzercise, Jane Fonda, and Tae Bo are back and gaining popularity with Gen Z

Jazzercise, Jane Fonda, and Tae Bo are back and gaining popularity with Gen Z
Updated: 6:23 PM EDT Jul 15, 2026
Editorial Standards ⓘ
Jazzercise, Jane Fonda, and Tae Bo are back and gaining popularity with Gen Z
Updated: 6:23 PM EDT Jul 15, 2026
Editorial Standards ⓘ
Fitness crazes from the 1980s and 1990s, including Jazzercise and Tae Bo, are making a comeback with a new generation, as younger audiences embrace these retro workouts for their fun and effectiveness.Across social media, Gen Z is rediscovering workouts their parents and grandparents once loved, from Jane Fonda’s aerobics to Jazzercise and Tae Bo. To explore the trend, a Jazzercise class in Newton offered a firsthand look at why these workouts are resonating again. Emily Simpson, a Jazzercise instructor, said the appeal lies in the environment. “I think it’s because it’s fun and we have no mirrors. So, there’s also like this almost freeing aspect of, I don’t care what I look like. I just get to work out, have fun, sweat with my friends,” she said. Jazzercise combines dance, strength training, and cardio, creating a workout that’s both enjoyable and challenging. “Jazzercise is a dance and strength fitness, we’ll call it an empire, where you make workout fun, but also hard at the same time,” Simpson said. For participant Ali Barlow, Jazzercise is a family tradition. “My mom was a jazzerciser, and I used to go with her to a church in Waltham and sit on the side as a kid. She’s in her 80’s now. She still does it three times a week, and it keeps her in shape for pickleball.” Tae Bo, the 1990s workout phenomenon that blends martial arts, boxing, and aerobics, is also gaining popularity with younger audiences. Its creator, Billy Blanks, said he’s thrilled to see a new generation embracing the workout. “All the younger people are letting me come into their fitness life, and I’m like, wow, I’m just blown away,” Blanks said. He shared that Tae Bo originated in Quincy, Massachusetts, where he ran a karate studio. “I said, hey guys, I got this brand-new exercise. At the time, it was called kaerobics,” he said. Blanks, now 70, said the workout’s enduring appeal lies in its effectiveness. “The young people are like, hey man, I remember my mom used to do the workout, and I used to laugh at her, and now I’m doing the workout, and I’m having the best time doing it,” he said. Dr. Miho Tanaka, an orthopedic surgeon at Mass General Brigham, said there’s science behind why these workouts are making a comeback. “I think that the shift away from the sort of high-intensity, ultra-high-impact workout and going back to something that’s fun and enjoyable is what we’re seeing,” she said. “Because there’s plenty of studies that show if you enjoy what you’re doing for exercise, you’re much more likely to be compliant with it, and that’s what makes a big difference in terms of your long-term health.” Dr. Tanaka emphasized that consistency and variety are key. “As long as you’re getting a comprehensive total body workout where you’re using your arms, your core, your legs, you’re getting your heart rate up, and you’re getting resistance-type exercises, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you’re getting out there and moving,” she said. Blanks said his mission goes beyond physical fitness. “Most people are looking to change the outside, but they need to change the inside first. But if I can help people do that, make the inside stronger, then everything else will follow,” he said. From Jazzercise to Tae Bo, these retro workouts are proving that what’s old can be new again and just as effective.
NEWTON, Mass. —

Fitness crazes from the 1980s and 1990s, including Jazzercise and Tae Bo, are making a comeback with a new generation, as younger audiences embrace these retro workouts for their fun and effectiveness

Across social media, Gen Z is rediscovering workouts their parents and grandparents once loved, from Jane Fonda’s aerobics to Jazzercise and Tae Bo. To explore the trend, a Jazzercise class in Newton offered a firsthand look at why these workouts are resonating again

Emily Simpson, a Jazzercise instructor, said the appeal lies in the environment. “I think it’s because it’s fun and we have no mirrors. So, there’s also like this almost freeing aspect of, I don’t care what I look like. I just get to work out, have fun, sweat with my friends,” she said

Jazzercise combines dance, strength training, and cardio, creating a workout that’s both enjoyable and challenging. “Jazzercise is a dance and strength fitness, we’ll call it an empire, where you make workout fun, but also hard at the same time,” Simpson said

For participant Ali Barlow, Jazzercise is a family tradition. “My mom was a jazzerciser, and I used to go with her to a church in Waltham and sit on the side as a kid. She’s in her 80’s now. She still does it three times a week, and it keeps her in shape for pickleball.”

Tae Bo, the 1990s workout phenomenon that blends martial arts, boxing, and aerobics, is also gaining popularity with younger audiences. Its creator, Billy Blanks, said he’s thrilled to see a new generation embracing the workout

“All the younger people are letting me come into their fitness life, and I’m like, wow, I’m just blown away,” Blanks said. He shared that Tae Bo originated in Quincy, Massachusetts, where he ran a karate studio. “I said, hey guys, I got this brand-new exercise. At the time, it was called kaerobics,” he said

Blanks, now 70, said the workout’s enduring appeal lies in its effectiveness. “The young people are like, hey man, I remember my mom used to do the workout, and I used to laugh at her, and now I’m doing the workout, and I’m having the best time doing it,” he said

Dr. Miho Tanaka, an orthopedic surgeon at Mass General Brigham, said there’s science behind why these workouts are making a comeback. “I think that the shift away from the sort of high-intensity, ultra-high-impact workout and going back to something that’s fun and enjoyable is what we’re seeing,” she said. “Because there’s plenty of studies that show if you enjoy what you’re doing for exercise, you’re much more likely to be compliant with it, and that’s what makes a big difference in terms of your long-term health.”

Dr. Tanaka emphasized that consistency and variety are key. “As long as you’re getting a comprehensive total body workout where you’re using your arms, your core, your legs, you’re getting your heart rate up, and you’re getting resistance-type exercises, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing as long as you’re getting out there and moving,” she said

Blanks said his mission goes beyond physical fitness. “Most people are looking to change the outside, but they need to change the inside first. But if I can help people do that, make the inside stronger, then everything else will follow,” he said

From Jazzercise to Tae Bo, these retro workouts are proving that what’s old can be new again and just as effective

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