We all know that doing exercise is good for our physical and mental health. Some people use workouts as their way of relaxing and destressing and therefore manage to keep up their motivation and exercise regularly. However, for others, the thought of working out alone is not appealing and they might give up before even starting. If you are one of these people, you can try working out with a group because there are many benefits to this.
The following are 10 reasons to exercise with a group.
- Accountability – If you train with a group and have set days and times when you work out, it can help you to avoid skipping out on workouts as you keep each other accountable.
- Motivation – When you are in a group, you can easily motivate. If someone is struggling with a particular exercise, you can encourage each other not to give up and to continue improving your fitness level.
- Duration – If you are working out alone, you may get bored after a short while. However, when training in a group, you may be more energised and realise that you can last longer, building your stamina even further.
- Following an instructor – If you attend a class, you will be guided by an instructor about what you have to do. Usually, you will copy the steps that the trainer is doing. In this way, you do not have to worry about what to do when you are at the gym.
- Variety – There are many different classes that you can join, and you are truly spoilt for choice. You can choose workouts that match your pace, some are for beginners and will be slower whereas if you want more challenging workouts, you will also find such opportunities.
- Social context – Exercising with a group gives you the chance to meet new people. This can lead to some of the relationships developing into friendships.
- Reduce loneliness – Even if the people you meet at your exercise group do not become friends when you attend the group workout, you are still meeting people and can have a chat before and after the session is over. Thus, for people who feel lonely, joining such activities can help.
- Outdoor activity – Working out with a group does not have to restrict you to train indoors, you can do workouts outdoors or join running clubs where you train together. If you want to enjoy the outdoors whilst being physically healthy, this could be a way to do it.
- Build self-confidence – The more you work out, the more you will feel good about yourself because you will feel that you are accomplishing an achievement by keeping up with the regular workouts. This will help you to increase your self-confidence.
- Fun – Finally, working out with a team can be good fun as opposed to working out alone. Try to find something that you like and share it with like-minded people.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Dr Marilyn Muscat is registered as an Educational Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council in the United Kingdom where she trained. She works with children, adolescents and their families to understand more about educational, social and emotional well-being concerns that they have and to help them improve upon their difficulties. She can be contacted on marilyn@willingness.com.mt or call us on 79291817.