Why I Love Group Fitness (and you should too!)

Now that my pesky chemistry midterm is over (blech) I got California and my rapidly approaching spring break on the mind. I have a feeling next few days of school and work will go by rather slowly leading up to my flight Saturday.

accurate….

The boy and I had a pretty awesome weekend here in the city– usual Friday night of Indian food and watching netflix, enjoyed the warm weather with lots of walking Saturday and ended up getting discount tickets to see Pippin on broadway at night (still AMAZING) and yesterday had brunch with my parents followed by board games with our good friend and her boyfriend. Solid weekend with zero homework done. Now I just gotta keep chugging along ’til Friday when it’s official break time 🙂

So, it’s no surprise that I looooove group fitness classes. The love affair started with pilates mat classes at the first gym I ever joined. Since then I have branched out and now love trying out as many classes as I can. For me personally group fitness never really scared me since I spent my childhood taking dance classes and karate and I felt comfortable sweating in the group environment. I know not everyone feels comfortable working out with a group and it can be a bit intimidating to try a group fitness class for the first time. Despite this initial “fear factor”, there are so many great reasons to hop on the group fitness train

Why you should try group fitness classes:

– you don’t have to plan your  workout. Taking a group fitness class means someone else has done the all the planning and thinking– all you have to do is show up and follow along. Trust me, at 7AM the last thing I want to do is count reps and think about what circuit is next– taking a group fitness class means I can follow the leader with minimal brain power exerted.

–you won’t cop out early. I’m totally guilty of convincing myself I will do a long, elaborate workout– miles on the treadmill, followed by weights, followed by an awesome stretch session! Realistically I cop out after 2 miles on the treadmill and head home. Taking a group fitness class means you most likely won’t cop out early and instead will get in the full sweat session you deserve.

-personal attention for less than the cost of a personal trainer. Group fitness classes can be a great way to perfect your form without spending lots of $$ on personal training. All group fitness classes are different as far as personal attention goes, but generally speaking, the instructor should correct your form throughout the class and offer modifications when necessary. This can be super helpful if you are absolutely new to fitness and want to learn the basics.

–You might work harder. I think there’s a few reasons why I work harder in group fitness classes than on my own– 1. if everyone else is holding a plank I sure as hell don’t want to be the gal that drops and 2. If the instructor knows me because I’ve taken multiple classes with them, they will push me to pick up heavier weights and take less breaks. 

– accountability. Many group fitness classes require you to sign up in advanced (I’m not talking just boutique fitness anymore– a few chain gyms require it as well). Signing up means you are more likely to show up for a workout.

– group camaraderie. Even if you don’t know anyone in the class there’s always a sense of “we’re all in this together” during a group fitness class. I find it comforting to be surrounded by other sweaty sweaty people experiencing the same torture er workout. I’m also a believer that you feed off of each others energy during a group fitness class– taking a  spin class is WAY more fun than sitting alone on a stationary bike.

– meet new people. In addition to feeling a sense of “yay we did it!” with your fellow sweat-ers, group fitness is also a way to meet other like minded individuals. If you attend the same class week after week chances are you will start to see some familiar faces.

I could go on and on and on obviously about all the reasons I love group fitness.

Tips for Group Fitness:

–try a variety of classes. There’s a whole plethora of group fitness options out there which means there’s bound to be something you love whether it’s dancing in zumba, getting stronger in a strength training class, woo-wooing in spin class or pulsing it out in barre. Try a variety of classes (and instructors) to find which one works for you. Not everyone is going to love every class.

– Show up early! There’s nothing worse than arriving at a new class late and flustered. Give yourself enough time to put your things away in the locker room and set up whatever equipment you will need.

– tell the instructor it’s your first time. This way they can keep an eye on you for form and let you know what equipment you will need (A+ for instructors that ask before you even have a chance to tell them!). Talking to them beforehand might also ease some of the “first time jitters”.

-if it’s a spin class ask for help! Proper bike set up makes spinning a much more enjoyable (and safe!) experience, don’t be a afraid to speak up and ask for help with bike set up since it can be tricky.

– come prepared. Don’t leave the room every 5 minutes to hit up the water fountain- come prepared with water, towel and everything else you will need.

– don’t hide in the back! Stand in the second row so you can watch the “regulars” but don’t coward in the back where the instructor can’t keep an eye on you.

– don’t be discouraged– everyone was new once. Everyone had to start somewhere so don’t be discouraged if it’s not easy in the beginning. Stick with it and in no time you will be one of those “front row people” who knows all the moves and can offer newbies advice.

 

Question of the day: Group fitness– love it or hate it?
And if you love it what’s your favorite kind of class / studio?