Find Your Tribe!
Five Wonderful Benefits of Group Fitness
Only about 23% of adults in America are getting enough exercise. Adults between the ages of 18-64 are recommended to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, per week. With everything we juggle in our lives – work, family, church, etc, – exercise may just seem like something else to add to our to-do list. But what if working out was something that was fun and exciting, and something you look forward to? This is where group fitness comes in. Group fitness is a fun way to get your exercise in, while bringing many other benefits to the table. If you look into the group fitness classes offered at your local gym, community center, and even at some churches, you might be surprised at all the different options! You could get that heart pumping while you dance away your stress at a Zumba class! What about getting toned and fit with friends at a pump class, using light to moderate weights? How about yoga, pilates or barre? Just to name a few other popular classes out there, you may find a step aerobics class, cross-fit, kickboxing, martial arts, or water aerobics. There are many exciting options to help us get healthier together in a group. Let’s take a look at five benefits of joining a group fitness class.
*Lose Weight
Let’s face it. Most Americans are over-weight. If losing weight is part of your health and fitness goals, then joining a group fitness class help your reach your goals. We all know that burning more calories than you are taking in, makes you lose weight. What better way to do that than to join a group of friends a couple of times per week (or more), to burn those calories together! It is no secret that exercising with a group, or at least one other person, is just more fun! It becomes something we look forward to each week, therefore it becomes a priority for us! Striving for, and accomplishing goals together is so rewarding! It is so much better than exercising alone! In the group fitness classes I teach, I love seeing everyone cheer each other on, supporting each person’s goals, celebrating all the victories together! Combined with eating healthier and taking in fewer calories, a group fitness class can help get you where you want to be on your fitness journey.
*Accountability
How many times have you made a commitment to start an exercise routine only to end up quitting? How many times have you said you are going to get up everyday before dawn and go to the gym, or go for a jog, and then after only a few weeks, or even days, you hit the snooze on the alarm and there goes the exercise plan. We are motivated for a while, and then the motivation fades. That’s the thing about motivation; it comes and goes and can’t be relied upon. Being part of a group fitness class, changes your perspective on exercise. They help hold you accountable to actually get the exercise. They start at a certain time each day, which makes you want to get on a regular workout schedule. This holds you accountable to show up. In a group class, you will make new friends which will also help hold you accountable because those new friends will notice when you aren’t there. Having workout buddies is always a good plan to help you stay on track. Also, most fitness classes cost money. If you have already paid for the class, you won’t want your money to go to waste and you will attend.
*Make New Friends
I can’t think of a better way to meet new friends than in a group fitness class. Everyone who is coming to the class will, no doubt, have similar goals. Meeting new friends who are like-minded, on the same journey to getting healthier, will create a strong bond. You already have this in common and it certainly helps create new friendships. Anytime we do tough things together, we gain respect for each other and are proud of each other’s accomplishments. A group fitness class can create life-long friendships. I have seen this in my own life. I have friends that I will always feel close to, just because we participated in a group exercise class together! These friendships have grown deeper than just exercising together. It is a fellowship that truly becomes like family in many cases. If you are new to a city or community, try finding a group class to meet some new friends!
*Challenge Yourself
Something about working out in a group makes us want to push ourselves to do more. If you have been working out alone, maybe you have been moving slowly, not really pushing yourself or doing the bare minimum. It is really hard to be excited and ready to give it all you’ve got, when you are exercising alone. It can become dull and routine, and therefore it gets skipped more than we want to admit. When we are working out together, the energy in the room builds, we see others pushing themselves, we know others may be noticing what we are doing and next thing you know, we are going harder and stronger than we ever would alone! We tend to workout with more intensity while participating in a group fitness class. We challenge ourselves to do a little more than we did last time. We feel the rush of the endorphins after that hard workout and we fall in love with it! That is a beautiful thing about group fitness! In the group fitness classes I have participated in and have taught, I have been amazed at what I was able to accomplish. That is a great feeling!
*Get Professional Instruction
A huge benefit of a group fitness class is that you will be working with a professional. A professional fitness instructor will be able to help you achieve and maintain proper form during the workout. This is so important, because with the wrong form, you can injure yourself or not get the results you are looking for. A professional will help lead you through all the exercises properly and will help stay focused and keep you moving! Being part of a group fitness class with a professional instructor is more economical than hiring a personal trainer with many of the same benefits.
Not only will you gain from these benefits we have discussed, but in a group fitness class you will have fun! If you are having fun, creating new friendships, reaching goals together, you are much more likely to keep it up! You will be much more likely to still be in a regular fitness routine years from now. So go find your tribe! If you try a class and you don’t like it, never fear. There are many options out there! It is time to try something new! You might just fall in love with fitness in the process!
