Mel Mitchell is an experienced Personal Trainer, Kettlercise and group exercise instructor and sports massage therapist based in Sturminster Newton.
With the start of outdoor classes in April and with indoor classes resuming on the 17th May, I thought this a great opportunity to talk a little about group fitness.
Joining a class can be a great way to start your fitness journey. It can help build a foundation and knowledge of exercises for you to take with you to the gym or home workouts if you wish.
Executing exercises with proper form is important both to prevent potential injuries but also for the muscles to reap the most out of each exercise.
Taking part in a fitness class means you are benefiting from being under the watchful eye of the instructor who will help you maintain proper form.
Classes are also a great way to get a workout in without the worry of planning your own program. Each class is well structured with a warm up, balanced workout and a cool-down.
Group fitness is a great motivator, and helps yourself and others around you to push harder. In my experience as a fitness instructor everyone has a competitive side which often surfaces during class!
A bit of friendly competition is a pleasure to watch and I love the camaraderie that comes with it.
You can be standing next to a complete stranger and yet you are egging each other on, supporting each other through the workout.
As someone who also takes part in group fitness, I often find I get more out of a workout when surrounded by other class members than I do by myself.
Nervous about joining a group class?
Don’t be. It is a natural feeling to be anxious. I remember being sat in my car with sweaty hands and heart racing. As soon as the class started, I was put at ease, and came out feeling great, having met some great people in the process.The growing popularity of fitness classes has meant that there is something out there for everyone. Whether you are looking for a high energy cardio-based class or something gentler such as Yoga or Pilates, there are a variety of local classes around run by fantastic instructors!
Always happy to answer your questions – send them to me on melmitchellmassage@gmail.com
