The Power Of The Group

Pilates Class 2007, Langcliffe Village Hall

Group exercise has an enduring power.

In so many ways, for both body and mind, getting together and moving has a magic about it.

And it’s so simple, you just need to find your thing. Dance, circuits, walking, biking, aerobics, boxercise, pilates, the ‘thing’ is irrelevant (I can make a good case for pilates though 😉), the key is the group.

There is strength, support, comfort, motivation and, quite simply, a friendliness to exercising together. Seeing the same bunch of people each week is reassuring and life-affirming. What I find so satisfying, week in, week out, is not just seeing the physical improvements to fitness but being part of everything else that comes with a gathering of people – their interactions with one another, the snippets of their lives, their highs and lows, their holidays, hobbies and anecdotes about their kids.

Seeing people in real life and talking, as ordinary as that might sound, does wonders for our mental wellbeing. An exercise group gives us all another little support network.

Classes begin and everyone is 100% present and focussed from the moment the lessons start. Being in a group means you have to listen and concentrate. It gives you discipline that’s tricky to achieve at home and alone. It works simply because we do it regularly and consistently. Everyone turns up (partly because they’ve already paid!) but also because they feel a commitment to the group and the teacher. Involve other people and it’s so much harder to skip your much-needed hour of exercise.

If you’re reading this and thinking about joining a group exercise class, be brave, try something new or revisit something you’ve done in the past. Find your tribe, be welcomed, try your best and just move.

A few weeks ago I went to a dance class for the first time in 27 years. I had no idea if I can could do it or keep up but I absolutely loved it! We all deserve that one hour for our own fitness and like most things in life, it’s more fun to do them together.

At the end of another year, THANK YOU so much to everyone who comes to classes in our studio, we appreciate and value your energy and effort in every single class and we love seeing you each week!