“If only I had a workout partner to keep me motivated” is something fitness enthusiasts hear all the time from friends that are less enthusiastic about hitting the gym. Group fitness classes are going to be a great way for both fitness fans and those not so much, to get their weekly exercise in. An extremely good option, group fitness can promote adherence to a routine, target general fitness so you’ll get a good fresh workout each session, and is usually a much more fun and social environment than the open gym floor. Not to mention for a much more affordable price you typically have a trainer right there that can give you form corrections and push you a bit harder.
Stress can derail even the most experienced exerciser. Group exercise classes might help alleviate some of your stress (PMID:29084328). While this study was conducted via survey the people in group classes said they felt less stress than people that followed a routine alone or didn’t exercise at all. I think this might be because it is much more fun to workout with a friendly group of people and complain about how hard the workouts are together.
Classes usually give you a well rounded workout. Of course there are specialty classes that focus only on strength, cardio, or a skill, but in general you’ll get a strength/cardio combo. Having that strength workout seems to be of more and more importance as we learn more about how lean tissue affects metabolism (PMID: 34385400), while the cardio portion is beneficial to the heart and lungs.
This is not to forget that group fitness classes are just plain fun. You get to workout at your level, and hang out with new and some old friends. So if you are looking to have a lot of fun while you exercise, or you’re starting out, joining in on a group fitness class is a good idea for you.