Guest Post #2: Group Exercise

Why go to a group exercise class when you can hang out on your elliptical at home while the kids do their homework? Hands up if you have unused gym equipment at home. Hands up if you watched an aerobics video and partway through, went to get a glass of water, only to come back, sit on the couch, watch what was going on, and then stop the dvd and put on General Hospital?

I'm just sayin.

I shied away from the gym for years. Said I'd never go to a non-women's-only gym. Said I didn't want men, or even women, to stare at me in my volunteer t-shirts. Said I'd rather go naked than do a step class. Promised I'd use the Chuck Norris Total Gym. I didn't.

One day, following a particularly distressing breakup, I decided to sign up for a gym. My motivation was lacking, and I needed to get my willpower in shape. On a whim, I thought I'd give a group exercise class a try. I tried a flow class and thought the Tai Chi section was a bit.. weird. I tried a weights class and couldn't use my arms for days. I tried a step class (yes! me!) and found that my coordination, as little as I thought I had, wasn't as bad as expected! I tried a kickboxing class and thought it was an amazing workout. I knew that I'd found what I needed to get in shape: scheduled classes!

Group exercise classes are brilliant because:
(a) they're scheduled back to back, so you can't really say "there's not one at a convenient time". (b) they come in a variety of shapes and flavours, to suit your tastes..... so you can choose a short class for convenience, and you can choose kickboxing over step because it may or may not make you feel incredibly fierce, even though you're punching air.
(c) you make friends with the familiar faces in class. face friends become real friends. give it time.
(d) the classes are at the same time every week, so you can write the class into your schedule. you MAKE the time to go.

By: Crystallina

BIIIIG Fan.