Many people see fitness as a solo endeavor.
After all, going at it alone offers you some time to unwind, get in the zone, and enjoy some me time.
And while that’s one way to go about it, exercising in a group setting offers some incredible benefits. Today, we’ll go over four of them:
1. Support and Motivation
Exercising alone is great. But it can feel a bit overwhelming and demotivating at times.
If you go about it solo, you have no one else to rely on but yourself for the support and motivation you need to push through the pain and finish strong.
Exercising in a group setting, however, is incredibly motivating because you are all there to do one thing: become better versions of yourselves.
This means that you’re all supporting and motivating each other to dig deep and push past your limits.
2. Accountability
When it comes to exercising consistently, most people think of motivation and discipline. Sure, these two things matter and do play a role. But an often-overlooked factor that makes a huge difference is accountability.
Exercising alone can be tough because, if no one is expecting you to show up, there’s no element of accountability – you’re free to give in to the temptation of taking the easy road.
Group training, on the other hand, offers plenty of accountability because several people expect you to show up and be part of each session. When you look at it that way, you’re much more likely to be there.
3. Structure
One of the biggest roadblocks people face, particularly those new to fitness, is with structure. It can be challenging to put the pieces of the puzzle together and come up with an effective training program.
It’s possible, but it often takes months, even years of trial and error.
Group training is fantastic because you don’t have to worry about the details. All you need to do is show up, follow the instructions, and apply yourself. Each workout is structured with a warm-up, a training session, and a cool down.
Your instructor will gracefully guide you through the whole sequence, and, more importantly, help you do better each time you’re there.
4. Proper Exercise Technique
Proper exercise technique is of utmost importance because it not only allows you to train your body effectively; it also prevents you from getting injured.
For the most part, people new to fitness learn how to exercise from friends, who are often equally as clueless. This cycle leads to lots of wasted time and effort, as well as an increased risk of injury.
Exercising in a group setting offers you the ability to learn how to perform each exercise correctly. This leads to better muscle activation, increased athletic performance, and decreased risk of injury and aches.
Conclusion
Exercising, whether alone or in a group setting, is admirable – there’s no question about it.
But, group training offers some unique benefits that, quite frankly, make it a fantastic way to have fun, be consistent, and get incredibly fit.
