Throughout the short history of the physical fitness industry as we know it, which, in fairness, only really took off for the average citizen during the late-20th century, there has been an ongoing debate over the relative merits of exercising alone or as part of a group or class.
Fairly recent, but enduringly popular group fitness innovations, including weight-loss boot camps, Zumba and CrossFit, have brought this debate into even sharper focus. But while group classes are certainly increasingly popular, there are still some good reasons to consider flying solo.
First, it’s important to acknowledge the benefits of the group approach. For one thing, especially for those interested in socializing and making friends, group fitness classes can be incredibly motivating. This is an important consideration since consistency is arguably the most important aspect of any fitness program, even more so than perfect technique or sufficient intensity. Basically, you can’t meet any fitness goals you’re not regularly working toward. So it’s worth continuing with whatever approach successfully gets you into the gym on multiple days per week. Group classes are also a great, cost-effective way to learn new exercises in a low-stress and at least moderately supervised environment.
On the other hand, the fun and excitement of group classes may conceal some significant drawbacks. For one thing, any group endeavour is necessarily going to neglect addressing some of your own personal goals and weaknesses. This can be particularly harmful if you have a specific injury that requires any level of physical rehabilitation. Also, a group class usually means there will be only one or at most a small handful of instructors available to monitor technique, which could increase the likelihood of injury. This is especially true if the movements required by the class are foreign to you, particularly challenging or are being engaged in competitively with other group members.
Finally, the benefits of group fitness training could plateau over time if each individual class is similar enough to the others to enable your body to adapt to performing the required movements with decreased effort over time. Ultimately, it comes down to the question of your motivation for exercising. If your goals are to meet and be encouraged by your fitness peers, a group class of suitable difficulty and variation is likely your best option. However, if your goals include maximizing athletic performance or addressing specific health or mobility issues, a custom-tailored and constantly modified individual program is likely to be more effective. In this case, visiting periodically with a qualified fitness and nutrition trainer is a great way to stay on track. Of course, you also don’t have to choose just one style of fitness training. You can create a blend of weekly solo and group fitness experiences that work the best for you.
Shaun Karp is a certified trainer and owner of Karp Personal Training in Vancouver.
karpfitness.com
