Don’t go at it alone, if you can help it anyway. Our lives are busy, jam-packed with work, school, to-dos, and whatever’s. If you are reading this, chances are exercise is factored pretty high on the list as well, or at least you would like it to be. With little time left in our days, sometimes we end up squeezing in our workouts at home or during open gym on our own. This is ok, but if you can show up to a class! The benefits of working out in a group go far beyond just the social factor. Science has shown us that exercising in group settings makes us work harder and see results even faster than exercising alone. Here a few reasons why you should show up and do work with the group:
1. Support! Easy, right? Not only do you have the support of your trainer in a class setting, but the support of your peers as well. Everyone is there for the same reason, and whether they are an elite athlete or a beginner, they are hurting the same. Get to know your coaches and peers, cheer each other on, and support each other. Lean into the success and the struggles of your peers and use that as motivation to show up and work hard.
2. Accountability. How many times have you heard your coaches say that showing up is the hardest part? Show up and do the work on the board; all we ask for is a willingness to learn and some effort on your end. It’s a lot easier to make excuses and skip out on the things you don’t like when you work out at home. When you come to a class, everyone is doing the work on the board, so you will too!
3. The Kohler Effect. In the 1920’s a German psychologist name Otto Kohler discovered that individuals work harder and persist longer when working in groups than they do when working alone. Kohler’s original study involved a group of rowers from Berlin, and a bunch of bicep curls. Cool right? Later studies have supported the Kohler effect, and the benefits of group work versus individual work. Whether it is friendly competition, or subconscious motivation, an individual’s drive and work output tends to be greater in group settings.
4. Coaching. This one is easy. It’s easy to pick up bad form and habits when you don’t have someone to watch what you are doing. Your coaches are your resources, use them! Nothing makes us happier than seeing you guys make gains, PR, and achieve the goals you might have once thought were so far off.
So there you go folks! See you all in the gym. Give your buddies a high five and kick butt!
References:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1970914/Kohler-effect
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2012-03825-001/
