Most gyms nowadays offer a variety of classes: from traditional group cycle to Les Mills classes to things called ‘full body assault’ and ‘ab attack’. While I certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone ‘assaulting their body’ or ‘attacking their abs’, a well-planned class by an experienced instructor who knows what they are doing might be the best way to exercise for some people. However, like with anything in life fitness classes have their positives and negatives. Having attended and taught quite a few, I was able to identify some of those pros and cons.
ADVATNAGES OF FITNESS CLASSES
You are overall more active
If you work in an office job and your activity levels are not particularly high during the week, attending a fitness class is a great way you can increase your physical activity. A lot of fitness classes are scheduled around 9-5 jobs so whether you’re an early bird or want to release some steam after a stressful day, fitness classes might fit right in with your schedule.
You are more likely to show up
Signing up for a class is a type of commitment and you are more likely to actually attend when you know that your name is on the list. Besides, some gyms charge a fee if you don’t show up without cancelling a class in advance. If you feel like you often struggle to make it to a gym due to lack of motivation, attending classes might be a good way to get into a routine and stay consistent.
You get to train together with like-minded people
There are certainly a few positive aspects of training together with other people. First, you feel a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded fitness enthusiasts. Secondly, it’s great knowing that during a challenging workout there’s a bunch of other people in the same boat.
You can go to classes with friends or family or you can make friends during classes. Nothing builds bonds better than struggling together in a plank position! Furthermore, being able to go for a well-deserved cup of coffee after a morning class with your fitness buddies will make it more likely that you are back every week.
No need to plan your workout
Fitness classes are extremely convenient if figuring out a training programme or paying a PT is not currently a priority. Even if you do follow a gym programme there is always a risk of hitting a busy time when all the equipment you planned to use is occupied and there’s very little space available for you to do bodyweight exercises.
This is unlikely to happen with fitness classes. Every class has a certain capacity depending on space and equipment available – once it’s full you can no longer book yourself in. This certainly takes some pressure off compared to going to a gym on your own.
You learn new exercises and your body’s strengths and weaknesses
When you are new to exercising and not quite ready to train in a gym on your own, you can use fitness classes as a ‘practice run’. If you choose to attend classes such as circuits, body conditioning or aerobics you can learn new exercises which you can subsequently perform on your own on a gym floor.
Attending a class can also help you identify your main development areas. For example, getting out of breath easily or losing stability during lunges. On a bright side, you will also discover the exercises and movement that come easy to you.
LIMITATIONS OF FITNESS CLASSES
One size doesn’t fit all
Sometimes it might feel like a lot of fitness classes are designed for people who are already fit. If you think about it, a lot of exercises casually used in, say, circuit classes would actually require teaching. Take a kettlebell swing for example. It is a very popular exercise but a complete beginner would certainly need to spend some time learning how to perform it correctly and safely in order to reap its benefits. This isn’t easy to do in a group class scenario.
In fitness classes, you get a group of people with various abilities performing the same routine. There’s a good chance that a lot of people new to fitness will keep using incorrect technique, potentially causing their bodies harm. Unfortunately, it is difficult for an instructor to address those issues in a room full of people.
Harder to track progress
Without a doubt, it is significantly harder to track your progress by going to fitness classes only. You might start feeling like things are getting easier but this is a very vague measurement of improvement compared to ‘2 months ago I could only do 3 chin-ups but now I can do 6′.
Furthermore, depending on which class you go to, you might end up doing a different routine every time you attend. You can certainly improve your fitness level by attending fitness classes. However, if you have a specific fitness goal (e.g. building muscle) there might be better options to achieve it.
You are not in control of your own workout
A while ago, I wrote an article about what you have to do to get a good workout even if you are having a bad day. Yet when it comes to attending fitness classes you to do what an instructor says even when you’re not feeling 100%. It might feel a bit awkward and stressful when you struggle to keep up with the rest of the class.
I still remember my first (and last) aerobics class – I felt like fainting while everyone else was effortlessly going through movements. I had to keep going, even though I definitely should have stopped, and inevitably ended up feeling physically unwell afterwards. It might be harder to dial in the intensity during classes when it feels like all eyes are on you.
Not suitable for introverts
I remember those awkward before and after class moments when everybody would talk to an instructor or to each other and I felt completely out of place. Going to fitness classes as an introvert was an equally mental challenge as it was physical. If you are an introvert, you are likely to be dealing with enough emotionally draining social situations during the day. The last thing you need is to bring more stress upon yourself when you’re trying to get fit.
So if an idea of having to participate in small talk at the end of a class doesn’t seem appealing at all, you are likely to benefit more from a physical activity that doesn’t involve too much interaction.
Not all fitness instructors are made equal
Nowadays it doesn’t take much to become a qualified fitness class instructor. Some qualifications take as little as one day. After that, it will depend on a person and their motivation as to how they utilise it. Some will use resources outside of training for self-improvement, while others might try to get away with doing the bare minimum.
It might take some trial and error to find instructors passionate about what they do, able to offer you an effective and safe workout that they put the effort into preparing. But once you do – hold on to them!
While fitness classes are not for everyone, they might indeed be a great tool to increase your activity levels. However, performing exercises for 45-60 minutes with very short breaks can make maintaining good technique difficult even for experienced gym-goers. Regardless of the class, it is important to work at your own pace, focus on maintaining good technique even when you start to get tired and take a break when you need it.