Only approximately 23% of adults in the United States get enough exercise. Furthermore, persons between the ages of 18 and 64 should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of strenuous exercise per week.
The truth is that with everything we have going on in our lives — work, kids, a never-ending to-do list — it may appear that exercise is just another thing to add to our to-do list.
Do you have trouble obtaining enough exercise on a regular basis? Do you ever wonder what you should be doing at the gym when you do go? Do you find exercise to be too exhausting and dull at times?
But what if you turned working out into a pleasurable and necessary component of your week? What if it’s something you’re excited about? Then frequent attendance at group fitness sessions can be just what you’re looking for.
Have you thought about signing up for a group exercise class? Group fitness classes are a fun way to get some exercise while also providing a variety of health advantages.
Do you want to know more? Continue reading to discover the top 10 advantages of joining a fitness group.
The power of social support is enormous. Participants lean toward becoming more regular exercisers when they observe others around them doing so, according to a study published in the Journal of Social Sciences. Others’ good intentions tend to rub off on us emotionally, cognitively, and physically, making it easier for us to follow through on our good intentions. Regular attendance at group fitness classes, on the other hand, benefits us in other ways.
1. Weight Loss
Almost two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. A group fitness class can help you lose weight and keep it off if that is your aim.
When people generate a calorie deficit, they lose weight. When you burn more calories than you consume, you are said to be in ketosis.
You can lose weight by reducing your calorie consumption. Exercise, on the other hand, aids in the burning of calories. Exercise can help you maintain your weight loss even if you lose weight by consuming fewer calories.
2. Increasing Motivation
Many of us find it difficult to attend the gym due to a lack of energy or other reasons.
Many of us lack the enthusiasm to consistently complete entire workouts or exercise regimens with the intensity required to get good results if we do get to the gym.
So, how might a group fitness class encourage you to exercise? It’s actually quite straightforward. Group lessons begin with rhythmic warmups that encourage you to focus your attention on the beat of the music rather than on how long it will take you to complete a good exercise. As you become caught up in the beat, you lose track of time, which motivates you to work more in your fitness journey.
Group lessons are also entertaining. Seeing everyone else stick to their workout makes it difficult to give up. It can elicit a playful, competitive attitude. Even if you’re exhausted and don’t think you can go any farther, trained instructors will urge you to keep going and make necessary modifications to the workout.
3. Reduced Risk Of Diseases
Getting the prescribed 150 minutes of exercise each week can help lower your risk of developing some obesity-related disorders. Exercise, for example, can lower your risk of heart disease. Along with stroke, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death.
Furthermore, exercise can help you lower your diabetes risk. People who exercise have a lower risk of developing some cancers.
Regular exercise also helps to build your bones by reducing bone density loss. Exercise can help older persons reduce their risk of falling. Working out can also aid in the treatment of arthritis.
4. Keeping Yourself From Being Distracted
Even if they do make it to the gym and begin exercising, it only takes a few minutes for someone to call or text on their cellphone, and suddenly, a big distraction from the activity has set in. This can cause workouts to take longer than they should, encourage bad posture and form, lead to a lack of focus on proper breathing (which is crucial), and even result in injury.
Group classes are beneficial because they keep you away from these types of distractions. In a group fitness class, you can’t text and exercise at the same time. They have the potential to make you journey through time by synchronizing your movements with the beat of the music. Group lessons are a great way to get away from your phone for a while. The majority of calls can be put on hold.
5. Routines That Have Been Pre-Planned
When we have to plan our own fitness regimen, we might quickly become frustrated. For those who have never had to develop their own routines before, it might be practically daunting.
When it comes to planning, we must evaluate which muscles to train, which exercises are optimal for training that muscle, how many reps and sets are required for a successful workout, and so on. This is where taking group classes can help. They provide a choice of class options and timings, as well as full-body routines in which you can rest assured that everything will be covered and all you have to do is follow along with the instructor. You may forget about all the stress and anxiety that comes with planning. Your entire workout will be guided by qualified instructors.
6. Be Part Of A Team
You can obtain mental health benefits in addition to physical health benefits by participating in group fitness sessions.
According to studies, simply feeling like you’re part of a team might boost your motivation. Even if you’re working alone, the feeling of being part of a team can motivate you to complete a challenging task.
Participants in a study were divided into small groups. The participants were then taken to a different room to work alone on a puzzle. The contestants were given unlimited time to complete the puzzle.
Half of the participants received a handwritten note from someone they had met earlier in the small group. Participants who believed they were working as part of a team spent 48 percent more time attempting to solve the issue that was actually unsolvable.
According to the findings, people who believed they were part of a team worked more. A group fitness class can be used in the same way. You can work harder and obtain health benefits by working out with others.
You could even be inspired to go out outside of class to stay on track with your fitness goals.
7. Hold Yourself Accountable
It’s something we’ve all done. We claim we’ll get up at the crack of dawn for a morning run. We set our alarms, yet we sleep right through them.
We all need motivation from time to time to get in shape. You may hold yourself accountable by sticking to a regular group fitness regimen. You’ll be more likely to come up if you know the session starts at a specific time each day.
Furthermore, you can bring a friend to class with you, and you can encourage each other to attend.
And since you paid for the class, you won’t want to squander your money by skipping it.
8. Collaborate With Professionals
Another significant advantage of group fitness courses is the opportunity to work with a professional.
A competent workout instructor can assist you in maintaining proper technique during your workout. This can help you avoid injury or strain, especially if you’re a newbie or have never done the types of workouts offered in the programs.
Working out in a group is also less expensive than employing a personal trainer. Working with and learning from a group exercise instructor has its advantages.
9. Make New Friends
When you’re an adult, making friends isn’t as simple. Going to school and meeting your future best buddy on the playground used to be simple. Now we have to go out of our way to find social interactions.
A group exercise class is a terrific way to meet new people and make friends if your social life is getting a little monotonous. You already have one thing in common: you wish to live a healthy lifestyle.
10. Challenge Yourself
Last but not least, joining a group exercise class allows you to challenge yourself. Perhaps you’re already working out alone but aren’t inspired. You’re only putting up the bare minimum effort.
A group setting can assist you in pushing yourself and increasing the intensity of your workout. Furthermore, taking a group class can help you cognitively challenge yourself by attempting something new. You can try an exercise that you’ve always wanted to try, such as a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program.
You will learn more about yourself and your likes and dislikes by trying something new. Perhaps you expected to enjoy yoga but instead find yourself enamored with kickboxing sessions.
Take Away
“Certain fitness goals are like preparing to run a marathon,” says Brandon Irwin of Kansas State University. Consider working out with someone who isn’t just any other person, but someone who is far better.”
We are social creatures by nature, but doing out with others — especially when they are a little better than us — motivates us to put in more effort than when we train alone.
When we exercise in group courses, we have a natural desire to do our best, to get and stay motivated without interruptions, and to keep up with other participants in the same exercise group class who have similar goals.
After that, we have the added benefit of leaving the gym feeling emotionally and physically satisfied, with no need to undertake any additional exercises outside of class.
So, if you’re searching for a fun and focused method to relieve stress, make new friends, and get regular health-promoting activity into your day without having to prepare ahead of time, we recommend joining a group fitness class.
Rahul is a sports and performance consultant. Over the course of his 15-year career in the fitness sector, he has held positions as a strength and conditioning instructor, gym owner, and consultant.
He is deeply committed to assisting people in finding happiness and feeling good about themselves.
Rahul has a master’s degree in exercise science and is a certified NSCA CSCS and CISSN.