BY MONIQUE BARTLETT
You’re at the point where you’re tired of working out at home or you’re tired of working out alone. You need some interaction and encouragement but you don’t have the support of everyone around you. One thing you can do to rev up your workouts is participate in group fitness workouts. Group workouts comes in all different types and varieties. You may think you’ll be doing the same class over and over again but you can mix it up. Perhaps you love cardio and need that high intensity, or maybe you prefer to do a gentle yoga practice because you’re not ready to push to your full fitness potential yet.
Whatever you choose to do make sure that you realize that not everyone in the class will be at the same fitness level. Do not try to keep up with the instructor if it’s only your first week in the class. Work at your own pace and eventually you will catch up. If you are a bit more advanced but are just looking for variety in your workouts trying a different type of workout in a group fitness class may provide you with benefits you haven’t considered.
You will meet new people who are active and may also be looking for support for their workout. You can push each other harder than you would push yourself. You will find people who will understand when you are struggling or hit a plateau. You will receive more insight as to what you can do to reach certain goals that you have set out for yourself while trying to lose weight. You will meet many different types of people who have different outlooks that will inspire you.
Group workouts can help you avoid or overcome plateaus because they will challenge the body in a different way. They can also help you to appreciate another type of workout that you may never have considered before. Remember the old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Give a new class a chance before you decide it’s not for you. Group workouts can also help to prevent or manage injuries because repetitive exercise over time can lead to overuse injuries.
If all else fails you’ll make great new friends and end up feeling better about yourself because you have support and accountability. By switching up your workout from time to time or trying a new class it will keep your workouts fresh and interesting. It will keep you motivated to exercise and live a healthy active lifestyle!
