Why I love Group Exercise – and you should too!

Joining a gym can be a daunting experience for many people. Finding the motivation to keep going can be difficult to begin with. Some people overcome this by going alongside a friend, colleague or partner but others might not have this option. Therefore, I am going to explain why I love group exercise and believe that classes are a great option.

You are being taught by a professional

When you attend an instructor-led class you are being encouraged by someone who has spent hours training. They’ve done the time, learning all about anatomy of the body and the correct forms for every exercise. Therefore, for someone who is unsure about certain exercises this is a great way to establish a foundation for your fitness knowledge. When I was first starting out, I used some of the routines we had done in a class when I was in the gym. I would do exercises in classes which I had never done before. But felt confident to do so because you are able to watch the instructor with the correct form.

You learn how to push yourself through the encouragement of an instructor. And will find yourself working harder than perhaps would have had you gone to the gym alone.

You are not alone

No one is staring at you, they are staring at the instructor! This is the brilliant thing about an instructor led class. Everyone in the class is watching them, not you. Many classes I have attended have again included moves I have not done before. Therefore I am focused on the teacher in order to watch and duplicate what they are doing.

Do not be put off by the mirrors in a studio. Mirrors might feel like your worst enemy but they will become your best friend. Use the mirror to adjust your form, making sure that you are doing what you think you are. There have been times when I thought I was in the right position, only to glance in the mirror and realise I wasn’t quite, without the mirror I would have been performing the exercise incorrectly and not benefiting from it.

The mirrors will also take the distraction off you. If you have ever been in a class staring at the mirror, if you glance around it is very rare anyone else is looking at you they are usually just staring at themselves!

You are surrounded by like minded people.

Remind yourself that everyone is there for their own reason and I can almost guarantee it is not to judge you! Lots of people love group exercise and these people will help you love it too.

Try and introduce yourself to some other attendees before or after the class, usually people attend a class on the regular and seeing a familiar face every time you walk in can make the whole experience much more enjoyable!

The other class attendees become your workout and gym buddies! Knowing that you are going to see friends at a class or saying “see you next week”, definitely helps keep you motivated to attend every week!

Don’t be afraid to speak with the instructor, they would rather you said something than not attend the class again or potentially hurt yourself because you misunderstood the exercise.

Take the stress away from planning

There is no doubt that for me a better workout is one that I have pre-planned beforehand. I tend to try and write them out usually on a Sunday ready for the week ahead but sometimes life gets in the way and I forget. In this case I like to book myself into a class because it takes the stress away from me having to try and write a workout in my head. Instead, with a class I know it will be a good workout without me having to think about what I will be doing.

It makes the boring stuff fun

I love a cardio class mainly because I know I wouldn’t do it by myself. Honestly, if I had to sit on a spin bike by myself, I would be bored after about 10 minutes! However, in a class that 45 minutes seems to go by very quickly. I also find I’ve worked way harder than I would by myself as well! Furthermore, with many cardio classes you can see yourself getting fitter and you can monitor your progression each week!

We have lots of class options for you to choose from, why not book onto one this week and give it a go! Check out our class timetable here.