By Jillian Boston, Personal Trainer & Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Do you feel like you lose motivation to workout as you head into the holiday season? Or are you someone who would love to workout but finds it hard to be consistent working out by yourself?! Trust me, you are not alone and that is completely normal! Life gets busy and although most of us know working out is great for our health we sometimes just don’t have the energy to make ourselves do it. If you find this is the case for you, then I highly recommend taking a studio fitness class or doing a group training session with a Personal Trainer. I have had the privilege of working with hundreds of women over the years who have said that group workouts have made all the difference for them and here’s why:
Accountability: Scheduling a workout with a friend, a Personal Trainer, or your favorite group fitness instructor makes you so much more likely to attend the workout for many reasons: you’re excited to see your friend and catch up, you know you will have someone else help motivate you, you can take the guesswork out of working out and you know that you scheduled the class/ session and you do not want to cancel on your friends or trainer. All of these things help hold you accountable to getting moving and feeling better!
Builds Confidence: Starting anything new can be scary but if you have a friend doing it with you it usually makes things easier. Once you get the hang of a new studio fitness class with a friend you might be more apt to try one out on your own! Or you may find that you love working out with one instructor in her strength class and that gives you the confidence to do a Barre class with said instructor. The ripple effect is awesome and before you know it you are comfortable walking into any class!
Motivation: Like I said before, life is busy. We expel a lot of energy doing other things and our workouts can take the back burner because the thought of expelling more energy can be daunting. However, as soon as you step into a class and feel the energy from the instructor and other classmates you all of a sudden feel rejuvenated! The energy of the other people around you will help fuel the motivation that you were lacking earlier in the day. That same energy will help inspire you to get through all 10 reps of push-ups in a class versus being at home and stopping when the push-ups start to get hard. We all have the motivation at certain times but during the times we don’t it is awesome to have friends and instructors help push you through a workout.
Social Health: This is a huge bonus of group workouts that you might not think of right away. However, since the pandemic and the increase in remote work it is not uncommon to go all day without seeing anyone. That may not sound like a bad thing but it is actually SO important for your brain and mental health to engage with other people during the day. Joining a group workout not only helps you get moving but it is also an awesome opportunity to socialize. So it’s a win win! Plus, what is better than working out with friends and then having someone lead the workout so you don’t have to think about it? Sounds like a no brainer to me!
On the Spot Form Correction: Have you ever wanted to work out but you have no idea where to start? A Personal Trainer in a one on one or group setting is such a valuable resource as she can teach you correct form and exercise techniques to help you start exercising safely. Not to mention a trainer provides extra motivation to push you to be your best! On the spot form correction comes in handy during studio fitness classes as well because it is not uncommon to be working out really hard but not seeing results. A lot of the time this can be due to incorrect form when you start to get tired during a workout. Taking a studio fitness class where the instructor can walk around during the workout and correct your form can make all the difference in your progress. The instructor also provides cues and demonstrations during the workout to remind you of correct form and how to get the most out of the exercises you are doing.
Now that you know the benefits of group workouts, you might be wondering where to start? Luckily you are in the right place! Fitness Unlimited offers over 75 studio fitness classes every week and an incredible team of Personal and Pilates Reformer Trainers who would love to work with you. Plus we offer a FREE TRIAL so you can experience everything Fitness Unlimited has to offer, absolutely free. Click here to get your free trial. To learn more about the studio fitness classes we offer, check out our new and improved class schedule here. We hope our instructors, trainers, and community of amazing members inspire you to get moving.
Have a great November!
Jillian
