Group exercise classes are a great way to reach your goals while having fun and staying motivated. There are so many benefits of partaking in a group workout that go beyond just physical aspects! In fact, working out in a group setting can also improve your mental and emotional wellbeing too. With so many benefits associated with group exercise classes, there should not be a whole lot stopping you from getting started!
Let us look at some of the benefits of group exercise classes, although the list does go on!
Great Regardless of Fitness Level
Many people want to get in shape but can sometimes be too scared to do so because of feeling overweight or too unfit, and consequently avoid exercising as they do not know where to start. Luckily, group exercise classes provide a safe and comfortable setting for people of all ages and fitness levels. Group exercise classes are generally advertised as being beginner, intermediate or advanced, so you can find one that is more tailored to your level. group exercise classes can vary in intensity and duration, so you truly are able to find one that is perfect for you. The coach leading your group workout will demonstrate each exercise so if you are new to exercise, you do not need to be overwhelmed by thinking you need to know every move or the names of them! You will be surprised at how much you learn by attending group exercise classes.
Qualified Fitness Professional Leading the Way
This leads us to the second major benefit of group exercise classes – the fact that they are led by trained professionals who have an abundance of knowledge about exercise and form. They will keep watch over everyone in the group to ensure they are performing the exercises correctly and will come up to you and let you know if your form needs to be adjusted. Poor exercise form and technique can lead to injury, but with group exercise classes there is a much lower risk of injury due to your coach guiding and advising on the best techniques and form. You can also ask questions and ask to be shown exercises again if you feel you didn’t quite understand something being demonstrated. For these reasons, group exercise classes are a great investment and cost you far less than a personal trainer, but still include many of the benefits.
Motivation Boost
Working out in a group setting provides an extremely high motivation boost for everyone involved. In these kinds of settings, you tend to push yourself much harder than you would if you were along; this is actually a studied phenomenon and is called the Kohler effect. In addition to the psychological motivation boost that you receive, other members can help motivate you by encouraging you, especially if you attend regularly. Seeing progress that you all make together can be a huge incentive to keep going. Your coach will also be extremely encouraging and positive to help you achieve your goals.
Accountability
There are several ways that attending group outs helps keep you accountable for your goals. With the majority of group exercise classes, you must register in advance which means you are less likely to cancel or back out. If, for whatever reason or another, you did not attend, your other class members and coach would be concerned about you and are likely to check in on you when you next attend. This helps keep you accountable more so than solo workout sessions in which you have no one to notice if you do skip!
Structured Setting
Even if you are not quite sure what you are doing when it comes to exercising, group exercise classes provide a much more structured setting, so you do not even need to worry about which muscle areas to target, for example. As your coach is trained, they will know exactly what you need to do to work certain areas and attending group exercise classes will allow for a regiment that is more likely to yield results and help you achieve your goals. They will also ensure that you warm up correctly, cool down and stretch properly, which many people fail to do when working out alone.
Social Setting
Group exercise classes are a great way to stay social! Whether you are looking to meet new friends or are bringing friends with you to have some fun and get some exercise, group exercise classes are great for those who are social butterflies. The comforting thing about group exercise classes is that, even if you are shy and quite timid, they are full of positive, high energy vibes which are great if you are new to this form of exercise. Friends that you make at group exercise classes are great for helping you stick to your goals and having a group of likeminded people with whom you can talk openly about your fitness.
Fun
Last but definitely not least, is the fun aspect of group exercise classes that makes them one of the best forms of exercises! From your inspirational and motivating coach, to fun music and happy people, group exercise classes turn exercise from a dreaded task to a fun, social event that you will look forward to attending. Endorphins are your ‘feel good’ hormones that tend to be released while exercising; having this much fun while working out can increase your endorphin output, which is why you feel so great after completing a group workout.
If you are wanting to achieve your fitness goals while having fun, group exercise classes are the key that you have been missing! With all of these benefits, what else are you waiting for?