Strength in numbers: Group training is the key to results for many people

It is a widespread fact that working out regularly is healthy and it has tons of benefits. Many people decide to start working out but not everyone, who joins the gym, is there to stay long and make it a habit. Surely, they all have this intention, but it is just not that simple to stay consistent. People are different and some might love putting effort in training, while others could hate it and see it as an annoying chore or even punishment. But no matter if you fit in the first category or in the second, nobody had strong discipline and strict habits from the beginning. Those things develop over time and the start is usually the same for everyone.

Inspired and motivated to change, you start working out and feel very proud of yourself in the first few weeks, when you are working towards your goals. You make promises that you would never skip a day and that you will manage to implement the habit of working out consistently, but when the motivation is gone, it happens to skip a day, or two. Then the feeling of disappointment takes over and you start doubting your abilities. The people, who are harsh on themselves can even start to perceive themselves as a failure. After that, it is very common to just give up on your promises and goals, in order to keep yourself safe from the judgmental thoughts and guilt. Does this sound familiar? Those actions create a really dangerous cycle, where every athlete and sports’ lover has been at least once in the beginning of their journey. Before falling in love with being active on a daily basis and making it a habit for good, there is a long way to go, full of obstacles and traps. It is normal to fall for them, the road to success is never a straight line.

Fortunately, people are social creatures and this could be used as an advantage. While it might be very difficult to walk this path and face everything alone, social support could be the key to consistency for many people. The need to belong, also called belongingness, refers to human emotional need to be accepted by members of a group. This might include the need to belong to a group of people, interested in similar things as you, to be accepted by co-workers, to be a part of an athletic group and many others. Belongingness is the key drive for all of us, it influences our behavior and motivations. Everybody needs to feel appreciated and part of something good. In social psychology, the need to belong is an intrinsic motivation to affiliate with others and be socially accepted. This need plays a role in a number of social phenomena such as self-presentation and social comparison. (1)

Because of our social nature, group training is the solution for many people, who experience difficulties with staying consistent in the gym. Dealing with something new and challenging together, with other people, always makes it easier and takes some pressure away. Social support could be crucial for keeping up with the good work so far and not giving up. Sometimes, people don’t need much to continue putting effort and just knowing that they are supported by others, who are “in the same boat” is enough to increase their motivation and power of will.  Also, social comparison plays a big role here. A little bit of “competition” during a fitness class has a positive effect on performance and make individuals work harder. Befriending with the people around you can make you look on your trainings from another angle and see it as a nice, social event, which is a great way to have fun, relax and work out at the same time. There is an interesting study testing whether group trainings or individual work outs are more beneficial for reducing stress among medicine students (medicine students are usually under a lot of pressure and stress). Researchers found that working out in a group lowers stress by 26% and significantly improves quality of life, while those who exercise individually, put in more effort but experienced no significant changes in their stress level and a limited improvement to quality of life. (2)

There are so many different fitness classes that you can join, according to your needs and preferences. Experimenting with each one can help you find those that are most fun and useful for you. If you are from Allen, Plano or Dallas, there are amazing news for you – you can visit the group classes at [Hidden Gym]! No matter what your goal is, our variety of classes gets you covered. You can choose from HITT, Metcon, Glute 30, Ab 30, Recovery Classes and Boxing Classes.

• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a challenging work out, with different intensity levels and rest periods. The bootcamp-style movements include the whole body and elevate your metabolism for days after the session, which is great for weight loss.
• Metcon is short for metabolic conditioning. It is a fifty minutes functional and high intensity training targeting the entire body. Your strength, conditioning and mobility will be challenged at this fast paced workout.
• Glute 30 is a workout that targets the lower body, with a specific emphasis on the glutes. It’s designed for people who want to improve the appearance, shape, strength and functionality of their glutes, and it only takes 30 minutes!
• Ab 30 is another short and amazing group class, designed to take the strength, stability and appearance of your core to the next level. The class is for those who love to “feel the burn” and challenge themselves.
• Recovery Class is a 50 minutes instructor lead class, which is essential for proper recovery after hard workouts. The instructor guides you through different stretching and mobility exercises, which help you relax, reduce muscle soreness and feel great after!
• Boxing Classes are for everyone who loves boxing or wants to try something new. Boxing is one of the most complete workouts. Not only that you are using your whole body in the movements, but it requires a lot of focus, which makes it a great mental workout as well. Plus, taking part in boxing classes is an amazing way to take out all of the stress and negativity away, transforming you into a more relaxed and calm person.

Still not sure which class to take? Come and visit us at [Hidden Gym]! Try all of them and decide which group trainings fit you best. You can even bring your friends with you and participate in the classes together! Remember that social support is even stronger when it comes from people close to you! The fitness lessons in [Hidden Gym] will bring out the most consistent and hard-working athlete in you!

Keywords: Group training, Fitness classes, Boxing class, Ab 30, Glute 30, Metcon, HIIT,  Allen, Plano, Dallas, Gym, Weight loss, Hidden Gym

References:

1. How the Need to Belong Influences Human Behavior and Motivation
2. Effects of Group Fitness Classes on Stress and Quality of Life of Medical Students