By Anya Rao
SmartHealth Today
When it comes to exercise, sometimes together is better.
No matter what type of workout you enjoy, there’s likely an instructor-led group fitness class you can join. You can find classes in aerobics, ballet-inspired barre fitness, indoor cycling, dance-based cardio classes, kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, boot camp, conditioning and more.
Working out with a group can encourage you to stick with an exercise plan. When Charley Fiorini joined a new gym, she would go regularly for a few weeks and then her visits would taper off as she lost motivation. But when she started going to group fitness classes at a gym, she stuck with it. Now a group fitness instructor at Cosmic Studios in Erlanger, Fiorini inspires others to keep moving. The studio offers a variety of classes, including a dance cardio class in a room with black lights.
“You forget you are working out and you focus on the fun,” Fiorini said. “With group classes, you can see your own results, but you also get that accountability.”
Because you are interacting with an instructor and meeting the other people in the class, group fitness classes can feel more like a social activity. Working out with others also can provide motivation to work harder.
“You feed off other people’s energy in the classes,” Fiorini said.
In addition to that accountability to keep working out, going to a group fitness class that is never the same two days in a row helps prevent exercise boredom – a common reason that people quit working out.
It’s common knowledge that exercise is good for your health. The Mayo Clinic reports that regular exercise can lead to better sleep, helps control weight, combats many health problems and improves mood and energy. If your regular routine doesn’t feel fun anymore, there are lots of group fitness classes to keep you moving.
If you haven’t tried the free exercise classes at Buena Vista Park, yet, now’s your chance. St. Elizabeth, LiveWell NKY and the YMCA partnered to bring fitness to the Northern Kentucky community every Tuesday and Saturday. Click here to get the details.
SmartHealth Today is a service of St. Elizabeth Healthcare
