Group fitness sucks

There was a time that I hated group fitness. It was early in my fitness education when I had to take a class called “Dance and Fitness” at McGill University to complete my bachelor’s degree. The teacher, who shall remain nameless, was a big believer in the dance side of fitness which, for many of us, conjures up images of high-speed, complex choreography, with legs swinging high overhead, and a level of precision not seen outside of a North Korean military parade.

Since then, group fitness has evolved considerably. Depending on how you define it, group fitness is a group of people moving (with some level of coordination) to music, led by an instructor. This includes the usual suspects like hi/lo classes, step classes, and dance influenced classes, but also includes indoor cycling classes, kettlebell or barbell-based classes, martial-arts influenced classes, and in some cases, Pilates and yoga classes.

So what’s the attraction for all those people who line up before class and guard their spot like it’s the Wild West and they’re staking a claim to their future homestead? Think way back to those sports teams you may have been on in your younger years. Forget about tripping on your shoelace or being picked last. Remember those rare moments when things worked like a well-oiled machine. When all the parts worked together for a common purpose. Remember the energy that created for you and for the team. That energy is what makes group fitness addictive (in a good way), for some people. For the average person, you will burn more calories as a part of that group than you will on your own. The reason is the combination of music, camaraderie, and being pushed by a leader harder than you would push yourself.

If you aren’t interested in shaking your booty with 50 other people, then creating a puddle of sweat in a cycling class just might be your thing. Or if you used to lift weights and want to get a full body workout done in a bout an hour, a barbell based class might be for you. You could try bootcamp, suspension training, or core training classes. Regardless, it is time you give group fitness another chance. Don’t worry, no one is staring at you, no one is making judgements about what you are wearing, and no one is criticising the extra weight around your waist. They are too busy trying to keep up with the instructor. So get into a class and experience group fitness again for the first time.

So if you haven’t figured it out, I don’t hate group fitness any more. I needed to get over what I thought was an exclusively dance-based endeavour explicitly designed to shine the light on my lack of coordination. What I have learned is that I had to find the path that worked for me (primarily indoor cycling), to truly let it go. Whether I am taking classes or teaching classes, I have made indoor cycling “my thing” and I am better for it. It was never that group fitness sucked. It was my attitude that sucked by being too restrictive about a great way to enjoy getting fit.

Why don’t you try it? You might just make it your thing too.