5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Group Fitness Class

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Group fitness classes are an incredible way to spice up your exercise routine. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just starting, these classes can provide motivation, camaraderie, and fun! But how do you ensure you're making the most out of each session? Here are five simple tips to maximize your experience in group fitness classes.

1. Respect Your Instructors Cues

It can be tempting to create your own progressions, but your instructor has a plan to challenge you. Trust the process and your instructors’ knowledge. Your instructor can’t guide you to more precise engagement and challenge you effectively if you choose your own springs without consult or create your own challenges. If you go off guidance, they will likely choose to focus more attention on other group attendees that are following along, and let you do your own thing.

2. Create a Relationship With Your Instructor

Your group fitness instructor has a lot of clients to manage and check in with. Some instructors train over 80 people every day! When you also make an effort to make 2-way connection with your instructor, you will both feel more comfortable with receiving additional individualized attention in group class.

3. Commumicate Your Goals to Your Instructor

Group fitness is designed to meet the needs of a group of varied goals. The entire class will not be designed to meet all of your specific needs, however, with more information on what you are looking to achieve out of class, your instructor can provide more information about ways you can reach those goals throughout your group fitness class or suggest supplemental programs. You may be surprised to learn from your instructor adjustments you thought would make an exercise more challenging or effective was the opposite and they can guide you to making more appropriate adjustments based on your goals.

4. Understand Not All Exercise Methods Are Created Equal

Not all types of movement are equal and you may be advanced in one type of exercise, but have an opportunity to learn more from a different method. You may be amazing at football, but just okay at basketball, and that doesn’t mean you aren’t physically fit, it just means you need time to get better at basketball. It is not a reflection of overall fitness. If you feel like you are not being challenged enough, welcome the instructor to provide precise individual corrections in class so that you can learn what it means to advance through Pilates. You may be surprised how a deeper connection will change an exercise you once thought was easy.

5. Remember That Progress Takes Time

Our society has trained us to want everything to take less time-- our daily modern life is full of messaging to do more with less in less time. The hard truth is that progress takes time and Pilates is not meant to “power through” or be a “quick-fix.” With intention and focus, over time, you will learn what this means as you are guided to mind-body connection. It’s something that is difficult to explain, but with patience, there will come a day where you have an ah-ha moment.

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