Read This to Love Sweat
February 22, 2018

3 Reasons Working Out With a Group Gets Results

You’ve seen the list of classes available at your gym. It’s hard to try something new, but you wonder if working with a group might provide some much-needed inspiration. Here’s why you need to try a class or group session with a trainer today.

Get Motivated

Some days just dragging yourself through the door is a challenge. You postpone going to the gym and often never make it.

If you do go, you just go through the motions, counting down the reps until you can go home. You don’t see change, which discourages you further.

When you work out with a group, there’s a set time. You can’t put it off if you want to make the class.

Often, you put more effort into your attire and appearance because you know you’ll be interacting with others, which cues your brain something important is about to happen. Once you get there, your trainer walks you through the warm-up and your own motivation accelerates along with your heart rate.

Kick It Up a Notch

Working out with others makes you push yourself harder. The Kohler Effect proposes no one wants to be the weakest participant in a group activity, which motivates increased performance.

A Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology study found participants who exercised with someone stronger increased their plank times by 24 percent.

A Society of Behavioral Medicine study found when people worked with a partner or team, they often doubled the length of their workout time. Working in a group setting allows you to use competition to your advantage.

Work to Your Abilities

One of the biggest problems with finding a workout partner is sometimes the people who best match your personality don’t match your workout intensity.

If your partner is less fit, you’re less likely to push past personal limits. If they are much more advanced, you’ll feel defeated and discouraged by the gap between your abilities.

When you work out with a class, you’re only in competition with yourself.  If you can only do ten squats in a minute while the person next to you does 50, other people in the group are somewhere in between.

There are mental benefits that come from working with a group. When you’re with others, you smile more, which improves your mood. People who work out together often develop a strong respect for each other. Group members know how hard it was to reach that goal, to lose those pounds, to show up again and again. They applaud each victory and embrace the next challenge with renewed strength.

Unlock the benefits of group fitness when you join a class or a group training session. Contact us to find out what fits your schedule.