I believe it’s the social experience, combined with intelligent, instructor-led coaching and guidance that attracts people to studio workouts in the first place, while the group environment motivates them to return. However, there are several reasons why not everyone is drawn to group exercise.
Firstly, some people feel that they need to have a good level of competence before they commit to a specific type of training, especially if their ability is showcased in front of a large group.
Secondly, some people think group fitness programmes can’t deliver the results they seek. For example, if they’re focusing on strength training, they may not believe group fitness classes can help them achieve their goals, but in reality, classes like Les Mills’ Bodypump can improve muscular strength and endurance, as well as aerobic fitness.
We need to try to encourage both men and women to take part in group exercise. One reason is that we all need to train every part of our body in order to be healthy and group fitness delivers great total body workouts.
This means that we must educate people of both genders on the benefits of group classes. Strong role models are also needed in the female and male instructors who take charge of group fitness and instil trust in participants – they must believe that the instructor’s experience and knowledge will ensure that time in the class is well spent.
Les Mills actively encourages everyone to discover the benefits of group exercise by offering a variety of classes that appeal to a wide range of individual goals and to both men and women. These classes vary from HIIT workouts, like Les Mills Grit, to the Bodypump barbell workout and the yoga-based Bodybalance, all of which are delivered by both male and female instructors.
It’s incredibly important to the industry, and to the health of the nation, that both men and women feel the studio area is inviting and a place where they can rely on getting an effective workout.