You’ve heard of fitness classes, and your gym probably pushes a bunch of different options on you. Is there something to them or should you just ignore them?
Well, there’s a reason that there are over 100,000 gyms in the US, and almost all of them offer some type of class. There are classes inside and outside, gym and community-organized, and for all different levels and styles of fitness.
There are many reasons why somebody would want to join a fitness class or even just a gym, and it goes far beyond adding extra equipment. There are so many benefits that fitness classes can offer you. Let’s talk about some of them!
Advantages Of Fitness Classes: Exercise Adherence
This is going in the number 1 spot for a reason. It is by far the most important benefit that people get out of fitness classes. Starting an exercise routine is a challenge in itself, but sticking to one is a lot harder.
Studies have shown that people who stick with their routines after 6 months are a lot more likely to stick with them forever. Well, people who started doing group fitness classes had an adherence rate of 66%, compared with 26% in the control group who exercised on their own. That’s a staggering difference.
If you start a workout routine, your body won’t even begin to make serious adaptations until about 4-6 weeks in. You may start seeing minor results after 2, but 4 weeks is the minimum for noticeable bodily changes. However, if you want to see the real benefits of exercise, long-term adherence is the key.
Meet New People
Participating in a new community is the other biggest benefit of trying a group fitness class. People come to fitness classes to socialize every bit as much as exercising. You could make new friends who share your goals or passions and be part of an overall fitness community!
As an adult, it’s hard to make friends outside of work. The only time-tested, perfect way to make new friends is to show up somewhere regularly and interact with them over time. With fitness classes, you know you’re meeting the right kind of people to make friends with. Those who will keep pushing you to do better along with them!
Motivation
It doesn’t matter if you think you’re an exception, everybody performs better when they have company. Reasons may vary, but it’s just a fact. We tend to do our best when we are working alongside others who are working toward similar goals.
Not only that, having a community of people who show up regularly, and getting to know them over time, will certainly help motivate you to come back to the classes every week.
Learn Proper Techniques
Nothing beats starting out with a personal trainer, but you’ll still have a dedicated fitness professional present who can show you how to do movements properly, and correct any mistakes you make.
Your form is super important for building strength and endurance, but also for preventing injuries and imbalances, which will not only affect your fitness career but your life. Don’t be embarrassed if your form is corrected at all. There won’t be a single person in the class, including the trainer, who hasn’t had their form corrected at least once. You’ll be surrounded by people who understand the struggles.
Long-Term Structure And Balance
These classes will be different every time you go, but they will be designed in a way to put you in the best physical shape. The varying techniques, the new knowledge you require, and the progressive structure of these classes will have lasting benefits throughout your fitness career.
You’ll also get the best of all that fitness has to offer! Taking a fitness class comes with the opportunity to become stronger, faster, increase your endurance, your flexibility, your mobility, and even your confidence!
Over time, you’ll start to see drastic results and when a similar workout does come up, you’ll be amazed at how much progress you will have made in such a short period of time. Having people around really does speed up the process.
Increasing all these different aspects of your personal fitness will have effects throughout your entire life! You’ll enjoy playing with your kids more, you’ll find more enjoyment in different activities that involve moving your body, and you’ll just feel better overall!
Advice
Not only will you have an experienced trainer who can offer you fitness and maybe nutritional advice (hiring a nutrition coach is still a great idea), but you’ll have plenty of people around who have been doing this for a while! They’ll be able to tell you what’s worked for them, how they stay in shape outside of class, when they started seeing results, and it will keep you motivated and hungry for more!
It’s Fun
Some will argue that this is the biggest benefit, and that will have plenty of merit! Yes, fitness classes are fun! You meet new people, you interact, you sometimes work in teams, you learn new things, and you face different challenges every time! Sometimes, you’ll even play a game or some kind of activity!
You’ll also have the opportunity to meet active people who want to have fun outside of class! They may invite you to go on a hike, or a bike ride, or a swim at the beach! The opportunities to have fun are endless!
Join A Class Today!
Now that you know some of the benefits of fitness classes, the time to get started is now! Check out our FREE functional training class offer today, and keep up to date with our latest fitness and nutrition news! Stay safe, stay healthy, and have fun!
