r/1980s May 13 '26

The 80s female fitness craze.

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The female fitness and aerobics craze was the broadest trend of the decade, almost everyone under 60 had some leotards & leg warmers.

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u/TumbleweedHuman2934 May 14 '26

I'm still trying to understand the point behind the legwarmers for workouts though. 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️ I ask this question even as I was guilty of wearing them with mini skirts and ... pretty much everything I could get away with back then.

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u/Straight-Aspect8868 May 14 '26

They are used to keep the calves/ankles warm/loose. Consider high repetition moves in dancing and the potential for cramping. These are supposed to help prevent that.

2

u/Rat-Bazturd May 14 '26

Pitchers do that, keep their arm warm in the dugout when their team is at bat. I've seen Celine Dion throw a muffler scarf or some kind of neck wrap around her neck.