Benefits of Group Exercise

Think back to when you were a kid and how much you loved going outside to play and how much fun it was just being around friends. Secondly, think back to when we were teenagers and how much we craved to be around a group of friends while hanging out on weekends. Even as adults, we still desire to do things in a group because we enjoy socializing and being a part of something while having fun!

Many things are just made more fun when done in a group rather than by ourselves. Group exercise is a great way to feel young again while being able to socialize and be around others who desire the same thing as you!

Group exercise is typically known as a group of people performing exercises while being led by an instructor. There are many different group exercise formats. You may have tried step classes, core, yoga, spin, muscle pump, toning classes, dance choreographed classes or others. There are a variety of different classes that you can do that may be of interest to you and your friends. You’ll typically find group exercises at a local gym or club and your choice of classes may depend on your schedule, instructor expertise and the type of gym or club you attend.

Group exercise offers a variety of benefits you might miss out on if you choose to work out on your own. Some of the benefits include exposure to a social and fun environment, a safe and effectively designed workout, a consistent exercise schedule, an accountability factor for participating in exercise and a workout that requires no prior exercise knowledge or experience.

Here are a few reasons why you may benefit from group exercise:

• One of the main reasons many people quit a certain workout program, or stop working out altogether, is because they get bored! With group exercise, you’ll always stay motivated and interested with different instructor styles, workout formats, different props and weights to use and a variety of different music to keep you pumped up. Not to mention that an hour can fly by because you’re having fun and socializing with other while getting a quality workout.
• Another reason is that many don’t even know where to start once they purchase a gym membership. So attending a group exercise class will take all that stress away because the workouts have already been made for you from the instructor! All you must do is show up with an open mind, a positive attitude and enjoy.
• Usually, each class is structured with a purpose. Depending on the type of class you take, you may be doing a class that focuses on cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular fitness, stretching, etc. Each class should also have a format that includes warming up, cooling down and stretching. Often, many of us forget to add these components into our own routine which can possibly cause us to get an injury of some sort. With group exercise, it’s all taken care of for you!

Group exercise can be so diverse as it even reaches communities outside of gyms or clubs. You can sometimes find people participating in boot camps or yoga at a park, cyclists along the side of the road and even Tough Mudders or Spartan Races.

Many people just want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. The social aspect of group exercise makes it so much easier for you to build new relationships with people while getting a great workout in at the same time!