The 90s are officially making a comeback. Not only because 90s fashion icons such as Carolyn Bessette are making their way back to mainstream media, or because modern rom-coms such as People We Meet on Vacation are increasingly adopting 90s-style nostalgia, but because of the desire for upbeat 90s-inspired workout routines. Enter: Tae Bo. A mix of martial arts and dance, Tae Bo has been all over my FYP. So, naturally, I had to see what all the hype was about.
When I think of 90s-style fitness, my mind tends to wander to neon-colored leg warmers, leotards, and headbands. I see a radio box and a room full of people socializing, jumping around, and punching the air. And that’s exactly what the craze surrounding Tae Bo was about in the first place — its fun and engaging energy, says Maria Vazquez, a certified personal trainer and head of training at Mywowfit. “There is a sense of empowerment when punching a beat that you won’t find on a treadmill,” she shares.
With the rise of Tae Bow’s popularity on TikTok, it seems like Gen Z is getting bored with “Pilates princess” workouts — and you know what? Me too. So, I decided to follow Tae Bo-inspired YouTube workouts for a week to see how it would compare to my go-to hot Pilates classes. And, it’s safe to say I’ll be adding Tae Bo to my weekly fitness routine — and you should too. But where should you start?
What is Tae Bo?
A mix of taekwondo, boxing, and cardio, Tae Bo is a high-intensity fitness routine that was developed by none other than the martial arts legend and fitness icon himself, Billy Blanks. “Tae Bo is basically the original ‘kickboxing’, and it’s a mix of martial arts and high-energy dance beats,” Vazquez says. “You do it by following a fast-paced rhythm of punches and kicks.”
Think of it like a combination of choreographed stances, kicks, and punches. “One of my favorite things about Tae Bo is that it is a full-body core workout disguised,” says Vasquez. “Because you are always balancing on one foot while kicking or twisting your upper body to punch, your abdominal muscles work throughout the entire workout.”
Tae Bo tones muscles, boosts endurance, improves flexibility, strengthens balance, and increases overall cardiovascular health. But it doesn’t only have physical benefits — it can impact your mental health, too. “It’s unique in that it can serve as both a stress relief and a caloric-burning activity,” Vasquez says. I don’t know about you, but all that punching sure helps me let off some built-up steam from a long day.
It wasn’t only TikTok and Tae Bo’s long list of benefits that gave me the final push to give it a try — it was the desire for a change. I’ve been doing hot Pilates for over a year now. And don’t get me wrong, I love it. But I wanted to add a bit of jazz into my weekly fitness routine. And what better way to do that than to bug my downstairs neighbors with all the jumping around?
So, I tried Tae Bo for a week…
The thing is, I’m not new to dance-inspired workout routines. Last spring, I started adding MadFit’s dance workouts to my weekly fitness routine alongside Pilates. But, as I got busier during the summer, I started to fall off. I also started running more, and it felt a bit overwhelming doing all three — running, dance, and pilates — exercises. And the truth is: I never went back to dance. So, this gave me the perfect excuse to try something new. I mean, Tae Bo is basically dance fitness — just elevated, right?
Obviously, choosing YouTube workouts when it came to Tae Bo was no challenge — I had to go with the one and only Billy Blanks (creator of Tae Bo, to refresh your memory). His DVDs were popular back in the 90s, much like his YouTube videos are today.
Throughout the week, I rotated two of his YouTube videos: Tae Bo Blast and Tae Bo Just Go. One was a 10-minute workout, while the other was 30 minutes. Throughtout the week, I did the 10-minute workout when I was feeling tired and needed a pick-me-up, and the 30-minute one when I wanted to work a little harder.
When I fast-forwarded through the videos to see what I was getting myself into ahead of time, I remember thinking to myself: “This won’t be too hard”. And boy, was I wrong. Even the 10-minute workout had me refilling my water bottle twice afterwards. They seem like their simple movements, but they work your body and amp your heart rate a lot more than you’d think.
The music was fun, and it kept me pretty motivated throughout each workout. However, I did find that when I did a 30-minute workout, especially if I had done a Pilates class on top of it that day, that I felt pretty tired afterwards (and not in a good way). When I overwork myself, I get this brutal, nauseating stomach ache — and I felt that after I did the 30-minute workout. But again, it’s a matter of getting used to a different style of exercise, as well as avoiding being overly-confident in your exercise abilities (maybe no more Pilates and Tae Bo on the same day).
But, overall, I really enjoyed Tae Bo, and it’s definitely something I’ll be adding to my routine for the time being. “If you are looking to add it to your routine, I recommend doing it 2-3 times per week as your primary cardio, and then use your other days for strength training or functional mobility to help keep your joints happy,” Vasquez says. “One of the reasons Tae Bo works well is that it moves you in all directions, not just forward and backward, and thus, creates a much more coordinated athlete.”
You don’t have to do Tae Bo every day, in fact, you don’t even have to do it every week. Practicing Tae Bo biweekly can still reap all the benefits of a diverse workout routine by targeting different muscle groups and energy systems.
“A lot of people are getting tired of the quiet, visually appealing gym workouts, and they want the energy that comes from a fast-paced workout,” Vasquez says. Tae Bo also doesn’t require any equipment, and makes it an easy alternative when you’re looking to switch things up. So, why not give it a try?
Of course, this isn’t to say that you’ll absolutely love Tae Bo. Like every fitness routine, it’s subjective. What works for some might not work for you. Personally, I loved it and can see myself doing it until I need another change (or until the 90s hype finds itself out the door again).
If you’ve found yourself in some form of fitness rut, and, on top of that, are among those falling subject to the 90s-style craze being popularized all over TikTok right now, then there really isn’t a better time to try Tae Bo, right?