I really enjoy working out with other people. I love group exercise classes, boot camps and even partner training. I always feel like I try harder, push myself further and get more out of my workout. Hopefully I’m helping them push themselves as well. I have been teaching group fitness classes for almost 20 years and I certainly push my clients to succeed and I also see my clients pushing each other to do their best.
A new study has shown that exercising in a group can increase your level of “feel-good” hormones called endorphins. When you exercise, endorphins are released that can cause you to feel euphoric or happy. Some people refer to this feeling as “runner’s high”. However you can get the same feeling from many types of physical activity. It is also thought that the endorphins may have a protective effect against pain.
The study, done by researchers at Oxford University, found that this euphoric feeling was increased when exercising in a group. Their study was done using 12 rowers. “After 45 minutes of either rowing separately or in a team of six, the researchers measured their pain threshold by how long they could tolerate an inflated blood pressure cuff on the arm. Exercise increased both groups' ability to tolerate pain, but the difference was significantly more pronounced among the team rowers.” The increased tolerance for pain was associated with an increased level of endorphins. The exact reason why exercising in a group increases endorphins is unknown but there are other studies that point towards this being the case.
If you’re already feeling happy, remember that group exercise has many other benefits. A group can provide support and accountability. Once you have a schedule and workout buddies, you don’t want to let them down by missing a workout. Also, the leader or instructor can keep you focused and motivated. He or she can let you know when to increase your pace or weights and can also help make sure you have the correct form in your exercises.
Whatever the reason, working out in a group is a great idea. Once you start, you will enjoy it. You might even find yourself exercising more often and getting better results. There are many places to find group exercise classes. You can go to a local gym, your town recreation center, continuing education classes, churches and even the internet on sites like Meetup. Come on, get happy and give group exercise a try!
- Jennifer
To read more about the study click here.
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Labels: Exercise, Fitness, healthy living, healthy tips, Jennifer, Physical Activity
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I think working out with someone or a class really motivates a lot of people. We are all individual so you have to see what works for you. I prefer to do it alone but I am very self motivated when it comes to my workouts. Yes, studies do show that having a partner or a class does increase the likelihood to keep with it.