The 5 great myths of group exercise

Ahhh...Group Exercise. It’s not all lycra and legwarmers you know. Perhaps you’ve picked up your club’s timetable and had a browse at a few classes, maybe you’ve even had a peek into one of the studios, but something’s stopped you from ever going inside. Read on to find out what really happens in a Group Exercise class and why you should put your fears aside and give it a try!

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Everyone will laugh at me

Walking into a room full of people you don’t know can be a bit scary…like starting a new job, going off to Uni or being the awkward plus one at a party. We get it. So why not bring a friend along to try your first class together? Get a free pass for your friend here and bring them along too. Having a comrade should help you feel a bit more at ease, and you can both go for a coffee/shopping/pub together afterwards.

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I won’t enjoy it

Wait a minute…have you actually tried it yet or are you just assuming you won’t like it? We really believe at Total Fitness there is a Group Exercise to suit everyone, whether you want to push yourself to the extreme on the Functional Training Rig, have a dance in Zumba, splash around in Aqua, stretch out in Pilates, find your inner Bradley Wiggins in Spin or turn up the volume in Grit, there’s really no reason why you can’t find a class to suit you. Once you get over the fear factor and give one class a go, you’ll find a whole new world of exercise opportunity awaits! And if you don’t like the first one you try, don’t stop there. Play the field and find something that fits you.

I won’t know what to do

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If you’ve ever looked into a studio from outside, it’ll probably look like everyone knows what they’re doing, like synchronised swimmers, they all have the moves beautifully spot on and effortlessly in time. We’ll let you into a little secret…that really isn’t the case and we really don’t mind. The most important thing is that you’re giving it a go. If you’ve got two left feet there’s plenty of classes that aren’t dance or aerobic based…Circuits, Body Pump, Spin, Grit. If you feel self-conscious, our top tip is to get a spot near the back of the room, so you can have plenty of people to copy, and you’ll soon realise that everyone is doing a slightly different ‘creative interpretation’ of the instructor’s moves anyway!

It won’t push me

Ever been into the gym, walked around a bit, hopped on the treadmill for a few minutes, sauntered over to the weights and pushed out a few bench presses then thought ‘job done.’ Course you have, we all have! It’s so easy when you’re training on your own to stick to the same routine, go light on the reps and barely break a sweat. But Group Exercise is different…the team atmosphere, a great instructor, energising music, a set routine – you’ll be amazed at the motivation is brings out. Yes you can go at your own pace, and no we won’t push you beyond what is right for you, but give you a bit of motivation? A push to go faster? A big well done when we see you’re really going for it? That’s all part of the package.

It’s for women only

Sure, there’s a few types of Group Exercise that tend to have more women taking part than men… Aqua, Legs Bums and Tums, Zumba, we’d love to see you there, but we know it takes a brave man to feel comfortable in a room full of shimmys and shakes. However, there’s also plenty of Group Exercises that you guys can benefit from too. We challenge you to try Spin, Circuits or Insanity, get involved, get rid of your preconceptions and see what a tough workout is really like.

Ready to give Group Exercise a go? Course you are! Check out your nearest Total Fitness timetable, take your pick and try it out. We’d love to know how you get on, let us know in the club or on Twitter @totalfitness