Kaja Tuisk and a new wave of Estonian aerobics

Kaja Tuisk always brought something fresh to the studio: a new rhythm, a bolder move or an idea picked up in the USA. This story explores what made her aerobics classes special and how Kickstepboxing found its place in Estonia’s training culture.

Kaja Tuisk and the energy she brought to the stage

It really is true. Kaja steps onto the stage and, almost imperceptibly, the room seems to brighten. That is not to say the instructors before her were dull or their routines uninspired. It was more that Kaja was more likely than the others to have dreamed up something new or brought it straight from the USA.

Most recently, at an ideas day for instructors, she introduced Kickstepboxing aerobics at Fittest in Mustamäe. It seemed to go down well. Fifty of our instructors enthusiastically followed her lead. This was more than a new name on the class timetable: it showed that aerobics in Estonia was already looking for fresh ways to express itself.

Writing in the Estonian Aerobics Festival calendar, Kaja, now head instructor at Status Club, explained why she had stayed with aerobics: “For me, aerobics is a passion, the creative freedom to express myself, a state of physical fitness and conditioning.” That sentence gives a good sense of her approach. A class was more than a sequence of exercises. It was movement, music and presence.

Why Kaja Tuisk made a lasting impression on Estonian aerobics

Of course, almost any pastime or hobby becomes work at some point. But if you are well prepared and keep learning, that does not bother you one bit. For Kaja, too, aerobics was a job as well as a way to express herself. She made no secret of the fact that work could also bring financial satisfaction. Frankly, it would have been strange for such a dedicated instructor never to mention that side of it.

Her advice was to train according to how you feel. It sounds simple, but it remains good advice today. If working out becomes an addiction, you need to listen to your body even more carefully. Even rest days could include some aerobics, but without neglecting recovery.

Three years ago, the Estonian instructor had the pleasure of visiting various clubs in Florida, USA. In America, her discipline featured faster music and more aggressive, forceful movement. More recently, we had also seen elements borrowed directly from the Americans at our own sporting competitions. The question was simple: would this really appeal to people in the Nordic region?

Perhaps not to all of us. So the answer was to find a suitable middle ground, especially when it came to speed. Kickboxing, developed by Billy Blanks in the nineties, was certainly a gem from across the Atlantic. Yet what was on offer to Finns and Estonians was every bit as good, provided the instructor knew how to set the right pace for local participants.

Kickstepboxing and Kickboxing: what happens in class

Kickboxing aerobics sounded fresh and a little edgy at the time. So what actually happened? The class was not about fighting for its own sake. Strikes, steps and rhythm were combined so that the whole body got a workout. Arms, legs, core and endurance all came into play at once.

The routines the instructor led participants through at the EAF events were excellent for training muscles throughout the body and very effective at burning calories. That was her assessment in the aerobics calendar, which ran through August. The appeal of a class like this was simple: people could work up a sweat, learn and briefly switch off from everyday life.

Technique mattered, too. In a spare moment, the aerobics instructor walked around with a camera in her hand. What for? “Terje (Hakman A.K.) asked me to film some of her BoxBic technique,” said Kickstepboxing. That small detail says a lot. The instructor on stage was a colleague, not a competitor.

Kaja Tuisk’s background and path to becoming an instructor

Kaja Tuisk has shared her knowledge with many participants in FAF training courses in Estonia. Kaja Kuhlberg, a ballerina from Otepää since the age of 3, grew up to become one of our most successful instructors. Her path was not a straight one, but she followed it with determination.

Behind her lay a long, twisting path through sport: competitive dance under Mait Agu at what was then Tartu State University (TRÜ), dance studies at the former Tallinn Pedagogical Institute, self-defense and karate courses, and hundreds of hours of workouts followed by still more workouts. By politely saying no to folk dancing, she stayed true to herself. So what if traditional striped skirts would have opened up the world to her sooner than aerobics clothes eventually did?

The simple truth is that a single course does not make a good instructor. You build experience in movement, watch others, experiment, make mistakes and refine your class again. That is precisely what made Kaja the instructor people said could brighten a room.

FAQ

Who is Kaja Tuisk?

Kaja is an Estonian aerobics instructor who has been involved with Status Club, FAF training courses and the Estonian Aerobics Festival. Her strength was bringing new ideas into studio classes.

What is Kickstepboxing aerobics?

It is an aerobics class that uses Kickboxing-style strikes, steps and rhythmic movement. The aim is to train the whole body while keeping the class energetic and engaging.

Why did the USA’s influence on aerobics matter?

The classes seen in the USA were faster and more forceful. Estonian instructors had to take the good ideas and adapt the pace and style to suit people here.

Long may it continue. Estonian aerobics is making strong progress, at its own pace.

Author: Aare Kreilis

Source: WHO – physical activity.

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