8 Reasons Group Fitness Classes are for YOU!

I used to be someone who did not like the idea of working out with a group. I was more of a loner type and did not want anyone looking at me - judging me - while I did something that was physically challenging. When I got into martial arts, I was kind of forced into a group atmosphere and while it was uncomfortable at first, I soon discovered that the pros drastically outweighed my reasons for hesitancy.

As I have said many times before: the best workout is the one you enjoy yet still challenges you. Even without a lot of fitness knowledge going in, a cursory search online can lead you to some physically-challenging workout routines. But will you be able to push yourself to rise to those challenges that should consistently escalate? And even if you can, will it be fun and exciting for you?

This is where the magic of group exercise classes come in. You have an opportunity to try something new, often with no commitment, that can change your life forever in multiple ways. Here are 8 great reasons why that is true:

1. You Need Some Instruction

This is a big one. You can read up on everything online now but when it comes to something physically challenging, skill-based or not, you are going to need some personal instruction on how to do it. Going on your own can result in injury, not learning the proper way to do the thing you're studying or at best, not being able to get much better after your first month or so.

So from there you've got 2 options: you can hire someone to teach you privately or a group fitness/small group training type of session. Private training will generally average anywhere from $40-$100/hour whereas group classes cost only a fraction, yet still give you access to the high level instruction of a trainer without the barrier to entry. (Note: Sometimes a friend or family member will have some experience or expertise here and will train you for free. Provided they know what they are doing, that could be great! But especially as it relates to boxing, I have seen some people who had trained with a friend that really shouldn't be training someone else. I've seen some good examples here too, but mostly bad.)

Any decent fitness studio will have coaches who know form, cues, and mechanics, as well as how to deliver that information in a room full of people, correcting improper form and giving you feedback. If you try out a group class where the coach does not do this, then you are probably in the wrong place!

2. Unless You Are One of the Remarkable 1%, Someone Else HAS to Push You

Very few of us can consistently push ourselves outside of that comfort zone during a workout. And the ones that can would probably still work that tiniest bit harder if someone else is telling them what to do. I have seen it time and time again on both ends. No matter how I try, now matter how determined and diligent I am, I will never work as hard alone as I would with even someone else in the room, let alone an actual trainer.

And even if that other person pushes you just the tiniest bit harder - like you skip that microsecond of rest you would take on your own - that tiny bit can make a HUGE difference. It's those microseconds we spend out of our comfort zone that lead to results. Plus, it's easy to get distracted on your own. I generally start thinking of other things, which can be great for activity like jogging, but having someone else driving me will keep me focused on what I am doing.

3. Planning Workouts 

One area where I believe less thinking is better is when it comes to planning workouts. Let an expert take care of this for you, designing the next 45 or so minutes of your life so all you have to do is show up and work.

Besides saving time and energy, this is better for your body. Unless you are fitness professional yourself, odds are that you don't have the prerequisite skills needed to create a workout program that is truly effective as possible, working everything in the way you want to. Again, there are plenty of workouts you can find online but also again, it may be harder than you think to tell the good from the bad. And none of it is personalized for you in any way.

4. Getting Bored

On a similar note, group fitness programs are a great option if you get bored easily working out on your own at the gym or following videos from home. A good instructor will mix things up, keeping it fresh, and focusing on creating a fun, enjoyable experience as well. Despite all I have said about challenging yourself and pushing yourself, my first goal when creating a class or individual program is to make it fun. It could be the most challenging workout in the world but if it's not fun, most people won't want to come back. Or in my case, it could also be the most perfectly instructional boxing lesson ever but if it's just cold, clinical and no fun, the average person isn't going to want to keep doing it. The "fun" part should relate to everything too - the workout itself, the instructor's personality, music, everything.

5. A Little bit of Competition May Be A Good Thing!

While I wouldn't necessarily think about being competitive at first - and it was part of the reason I was initially resistant to group fitness classes - a little bit of competition once you can get used to the workout may help you take that next step. It doesn't even have to be direct. If I am in a class and see someone else working hard, I will be motivated to try and match or exceed their intensity levels.

Then if you are more of a competitive type, even better! Many group fitness classes have some sort of technology that tracks elements of their workout. At my boxing club, we have sensors on the all the heavy bags, which detect how many punches someone throws, as well as the force delivered on each punch so we have some members who like push each other to score more points or at the very least, compete with themselves yesterday.

6. It's Good To Be Around Other People Too!

Once again, this as not necessarily my jam originally. It's not that I didn't like people, I just wasn't exactly a social butterfly. But even if I wasn't looking for buddies, it was still good/healthy for me to be around others and I think that is true for most of us. No person is an island. And while it might be a little out of your comfort zone, it is a great way to ease into being more socially comfortable. You don’t have to interact and if you do, there are time constraints (like class about to start)  that make the interaction less of a commitment. I found that particularly helpful and eventually realized that I wasn't a social butterfly but a social caterpillar, who eventually emerged from his chrysalis!

No matter what stage you might be in, meeting people can be especially difficult these days but as part of a class, you can really get to know other members over time as well as the coaching staff. Going through a challenging workout together can even be bonding.
And of course, even if you don't meet friends at your class, you can still workout with your friends. Sign up for a new class together. With family members too. Workouts are a fun, healthy way to connect with your favorite people.

7. There is a Support System in Place

Along those lines, having external motivation to stick to your routine is extremely helpful and a group setting can provide just the encouragement you need. There is some accountability that doesn't exist when you exercise on your own. I have seen this work successfully time and time again and even seen members reach out to others who have gone MIA.

8. Keeps You On Track To Meet The Minimum Fitness Recommendations

It might sound obvious, but group fitness classes are a great way for people to inch closer to the recommended minimum movement requirements set forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. They recommend that adults participate in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity and two or more resistance training sessions each week. Going to programmed, group exercise classes will check those boxes for you. Exercise functions like medicine and helps lower your risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease. 

There are certainly additional health benefits in going beyond the recommended amounts and that is where your specific goals come into play. Whatever group exercise option you pick, it should align with those goals. As much as I love boxing and think everybody should do it, if someone walked in and said their goal was to bulk up and build 40 pounds of muscle mass, I would say that boxing is not necessarily the right training for that goal. Whereas if someone came in and said they wanted to lose 40 pounds of fat while building some tone, lean muscle, then boxing is the best way to do that!

So if you've never done group exercise classes before, try one right now! Or if you have done them in the past but didn't have the best experience, then try a different kind of class. I can almost guarantee you won't regret it, whether it is something you choose to do long-term of not. You likely have nothing to lose and probably the most valuable thing to gain - your own health and fitness!