Staying motivated to workout or push yourself hard enough to break a real sweat can be difficult, especially when you’re doing it on your own. Group exercise classes may be the solution to these dilemmas. Here are a few of our top “Do” and “Don’t” tips to make your first group exercise class a little less intimidating.
DO
Bring a Friend
The keyword in group exercise is “group.” Bringing a friend along helps you both stay committed – it’s harder to come up with excuses when you’ve made plans with a friend. Plus having someone else there to share the experience makes it seem less scary.
Wear Appropriate Clothes
Make sure you wear something that’s comfortable, breathable and that you feel awesome in. The right workout clothes can make a big difference in your overall fitness experience. If you forget something at home, no worries, swing by our Pro Shop and we’ll sort you out!
Come Prepared
Make sure you know which room the class is in and what time the class starts because:
Talk to Your Instructor
Introduce yourself before or after class, we promise our instructors don’t bite! Also, let the instructor know if you have any special constraints such as joint problems, sprains, recent surgeries, etc. This way your instructor can help you with exercise modifications during the class.
DON’T
Worry About Keeping Up
Participants in group exercise classes are at all different fitness levels so it’s okay if you can’t walk in on the first day of a group exercise class and keep up with the instructor and/or everyone else in the class. If you need to take a break, go ahead! Everyone has to start somewhere and you’ve just taken your first step forward!
Pick a Class You Won’t Like
Don’t pick a class just because it’s the hottest new thing, pick classes because you think you’ll like them. If you’re an avid biker but hate swimming, you probably wouldn’t want to take a water aerobics class. Working out should be a fun, enjoyable experience that you look forward to every day.
Take Yourself Too Seriously
Don’t get down on yourself if you make a mistake in class or if you can’t do a particular exercise. No one gets it right the first time. Believe it or not, your instructor wasn’t born knowing all the cool workout moves they’re showing you, they had to work on it. Before you know it you’ll be working out like a pro!
Ever Give Up
Progress doesn’t happen overnight, if it did, it wouldn’t be called progress. There will be days when you really don’t want to go to the gym, don’t quit! You took the most important and hardest first step, keep it going!
If you need a little help with where to start in your fitness endeavor, take advantage of our free fitness consultation.
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