The Value Of Group Exercise

An obvious reason for starting a fitness journey alongside others would be the aspect of building a community. During a group fitness session you’ll get to meet new people, build relationships (Khushrushahi), and aside from working with professional personal trainers, you’ll also be alongside those who are on the same path as you. Some people find it easier to do workouts when they aren’t training alone, knowing that others are facing the same struggles and victories that they are is a big encouragement.

Mental health is a key factor of joining a group fitness class. The feeling of being part of a team is what gives people motivation (“7 Spectacular Benefits of Group Fitness Classes for Your Health”) to work harder and train better. Whether it’s family, friends, or co-workers, we all know how important a group can be for encouragement and motivation. Having people to lean on for emotional support in a gym setting is a goal reaching benefit of group training.

A cool benefit of a group fitness class is the ability to learn from an experienced teacher with others. The professional trainer develops the workouts and then helps the group learn how to do them in order to reach their goals. Being taught the proper form for each exercise will limit the possibility of injury (“5 Benefits of Group Fitness Classes”) and give people direction for performing the exercises on their own. Group fitness classes are great for individuals to get professional and personal guidance while still offering the choice of not going through the class alone.

Whether someone is an expert or a first time gym goer, group classes are for people of all ages and athletic abilities to join (“Group exercise – health benefits and types of group exercise | healthdirect”). No matter what your fitness level is, you’ll be able to follow along with the group. You’ll also receive feedback from the trainer, which will help you get the best workout results possible.

Make group fitness classes something you do with your family! Invite your spouse to join you, your older children, an aunt, or cousin. Anyone who you’d like to spend some extra time with. Group fitness class is a great family bonding activity (“7 Reasons Exercise is Better Together”) where you can all enjoy the benefits of healthy living.

Being part of a group means you share the same goals (“Exercise accountability group”) and are given the responsibility of committing to what everyone else is doing. A community of people will keep you accountable to accomplish the workout task at hand because your teammates want to get it done with you. One on one training sessions include encouragement and accountability from your private trainer, but in a group setting you get the same accountability from more than one person.

Being part of a fitness community will most often include a variety of different workouts to try. Doing the same exercises day to day isn’t fun and can cause strains from overusing the same muscles (Mansour). It’s a lot better to be in a class where the workouts are switched up, thought out and strategic for reaching your fitness goals. If you workout on your own, adding a group class into your routine will ensure you get multiple different workouts.

Most of all, joining a group fitness class is fun (Healy)! If you’re someone who likes to meet new people, establish relationships, be pushed to reach your goals and would rather take on a challenge with others than on your own; group exercise is for you. The Quad likes to make every group session a fun experience so our clients leave feeling satisfied and uplifted.

In the coming weeks The Quad, located in Beaverton, OR, will be launching a bootcamp that caters to those who are 40 years old and above. Anyone in this age range who is seeking to improve their fitness and cultivate healthy living can join. This bootcamp will be a fitness group for people from all walks of athleticism – whether you go to the gym often or are just looking to start.

• Men and women over 40 years of age.
• People who have a regular exercise routine.
• People who have not worked out in awhile.
• Anyone looking to improve mobility and/or flexibility.
• Anyone wanting to start an exercise regime in the new year.
• People looking for a challenging and engaging workout experience.

(Excerpt taken from “What Is Functional Fitness And How Do I Do It?”)

Functional fitness consists of workouts that not only prepare you for but also mimic everyday movements. These types of exercises primarily focus on using body weight to strengthen muscles (Tipane and Lal) for real world tasks. Simply, functional fitness training consists of moving your body from point A to point B while utilizing natural maneuvers or push and pull methods.

The “Over 40 Functional Fitness Bootcamp” is all about helping people improve their fitness and have fun while doing it! We have two weekly meeting times where we workout together. Our bootcamp is led by our lead trainer, who will coordinate various workouts each week. Try out bootcamp for free and see how you can transform your fitness!

What to expect from the bootcamp:

• A tough and fun workout!
• Engaged and helpful coaching for ideal movement and form throughout.
• Movements tailored and scaled to each individual’s ability.
• Workouts that have elements of bodyweight movements, kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, and cardio.
• Varied workouts from week to week.

Keep a lookout on our social media for our Bootcamp launch and meeting times. You can find us on the following platforms:

• Instagram: @thequadpdxfitness
• Facebook: The Quad
• LinkedIn: The Quad PDX