Strength is in numbers

I used to train almost exclusively on my own. Over time, I came to find that I hit plateaus, injured myself and suffered from lack of motivation.  As a fitness professional, I know that there are many factors that come into play when it comes to setting and reaching your fitness goals. Getting strong and healthy is a fine balance that requires strategy and diversity.
There’s a fine balance between getting strong and healthy, as it requires strategy and diversity.

For many people, simply getting to the gym can be a hard task. Then there comes the challenge of knowing what to do to get a solid workout. After a long day at work this can be a daunting chore that may sabotage you from getting any exercise at all.

They say strength is in numbers and research demonstrates that working out in a group setting can actually improve your performance every time you exercise. If you are mostly working out alone, you may be missing out on many benefits exclusive to group fitness. In classes participants get safe yet challenging workouts, plus having variety in your weekly roster will keep your workouts challenging, safe and keep your metabolism ramped up.

Here are the 4 group fitness ingredients to success:

1. Motivation

Classes are a great way to help motivate you to push harder and dig deeper in workouts.

2. Structure

Classes are structured with a proper warm-up, a balanced workout and a cool-down. No need to think, just do it.

3. Proper Form

It’s the instructor’s mandate to show proper form and make sure that everyone in class is executing exercises correctly and safely. This is important in reaping the most out of each exercise and to avoid injuries.

4. Accountability

Finding a class or classes that you like will incite you to attend or sign up, which supports your commitment to show up.

And what about the FUN factor?  Between the upbeat music, the ambiance and the great workout, you may be surprised at how much you sweat and how good you feel at the end of that hour. Not convinced? Remember that a sure way to grow is to try. Rally up a friend, grab the right fitness gear and get to a group fitness class now!

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. – Helen Keller