The dates on these photos are incorrect in the USF collection, which puts them in 1970. The Harbor Island Athletic Club opened in 1987—just in time to ride the crest of the aerobics craze. The photos are most likely promotional for the club shot by the Gandy firm.

Aerobics helped usher in today’s fitness culture, from CrossFit to Zumba, a movement propelled into the mainstream by celebrity workout queen Jane Fonda. Her Fonda’s Workout VHS tapes became a cultural phenomenon, bringing mass appeal to at-home fitness and turning living rooms into aerobic studios.

Health clubs and instructors like Harbor Island quickly seized on the momentum, sparking a broader lifestyle shift that fused fitness with fashion—leg warmers, neon spandex, big hair—and transformed workouts into a social event as much as an athletic one. Aerobics wasn’t just about breaking a sweat; it fostered community, loud music, and tight, dazzling outfits.

The trend launched the careers of personalities like Richard Simmons, whose Sweatin’ to the Oldies made him a household name, and infomercial stars such as Tony Little, who carried the movement into millions of homes via VHS. Even pop culture joined in: Olivia Newton-John redefined herself with her smash hit “Physical,” and yes, even Arnold Schwarzenegger got in on the action.

By the 1990s, aerobics had begun to morph into new forms, and soon big hair was gone, leggings were out, and neon spandex had faded. Today, it's replaced by yoga and athleisure wear with mega brands like Lululemon. Much of today’s fitness culture can be traced back to early pioneers like Jane Fonda, whose VHS-era empire didn’t just sell workouts — it taught America that exercise could be aspirational, fashionable, and part of everyday life.

The 6.44-acre Harbor Island Athletic Club ultimately closed in 2023 amid a legal dispute, ending a chapter in Tampa’s fitness history. Life Time Fitness took over. In 2024

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