Fitness classes offer more than thorough training. Getting into a sparkling, clean, bright training studio is a portal to positivity, motivation and community. If you’ve ever wanted a way to socialize, exercise and enjoy yourself at the same time, you’re in the right place.
If you’re struggling to find the right kind of workout class, or if you’re nervous about diving into a HIIT class without knowing what to expect, we’re here to reassure you. You need to know what to look for.
Think of us as personal trainers with our fitness class wayfinding. This is your innocent guide to finding fitness classes (or two or three) that you can’t get enough.
Why choose a fitness class?
We have come a long way since our Jane Fonda era fitness class days. Every week countless Americans pulled up their leg warmers and became physically in front of ’80s television screens. What’s still sure is that fitness classes create community, accountability and fun.
Fitness classes are popular at a wide range of experience levels, from looking for athletes to beginners who buy routines they can stick to. With a friendly and enthusiastic instructor, fitness classes can add diversity to your routine, build a community of like-minded people, and sweat without realizing it. Don’t worry. Find fitness classes for all fitness and ability levels so you can feel comfortable and confident no matter where you start.
Below, we categorize four basic types of fitness classes to provide an overview of what you can expect and what sample exercises and routines will look like. and Your goals.
Let’s dive into it.
Strength and Resistance Training Class
These classes focus on building muscle strength and endurance through exercises that utilize resistance to resolve major muscle groups, utilizing resistance, such as weight movement, free weights, and resistance bands. Over time, it improves overall physical fitness by increasing the power and stability of your entire body.
There are countless potential benefits of strength and resistance training, but some include:
- Increased muscle mass. This can help maintain muscle strength and function and improve general physical function
- Stronger bones help reduce the risk of bone fractures
- Joint flexibility to reduce stiffness and arthritis symptoms
- Blood sugar support
- Sleep has been improved
- Improved balance that helps reduce the risk of injury
- Reducing fatigue or feeling of anxiety
The strength and resistance class is friendly to newcomers and experienced athletes, as the goal is to build resistance and strength over time. Students can choose lighter weights with a shorter set with more reps or a heavier weight with a fewer reps and longer sets. Depending on your experience level and fitness goals.
If you’re excited to try out strength or resistance classes, look for classes like Body Pump, Strength and Conditioning, Killer Core, and TRX on your schedule. This energetic 45-60 minute class offers exercises such as deadlifts, squats, rows, planks, and other satisfying head-to-toe training.
Aerobic exercise and HIIT class
In these classes, the goal is to raise your heart rate. These are aerobic, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, sweating, working at intense levels, slowing recovery periods followed by a high-intensity round. This means you don’t need to exercise as much as you would if you maintain a stable pace throughout.
There are many potential benefits, some of which include:
- Increases metabolism
- Muscle Building (especially HIIT class)
- Calories burning for a certain period of time after your exercise class
- Brain health support
- Heart Health Support
These classes are popular because they have important components. Don’t take yourself too seriously, just relax. They are light, fast, fun and challenging. The Aerobic and HIIT classes are well known for their energetic pop playlists and are perfect for diving into these workouts with friends.
Ready to enhance your fitness with aerobic or HIIT class? Find indoor cycling, dancing, boxing, or interval training varieties and prepare for exercises such as knees, burpees, jump jacks, mountaineers, and freestyle breaks.
Mind and body and recovery classes
Consider trying one of your mental and physical and recovery classes at your gym after an intense workout week or simply for a gentle recovery after a relaxing week. These classes combine physical movement, mental focus and controlled breathing to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and overall health. Their goal is to make you refreshed. They remain challenging and attractive, yet positive and relaxed.
What are the advantages of these classes?
- Improved flexibility and mobility
- Stress reduction and mental clarity
- Improve your posture
- Stronger core muscles
- Sleep has been improved
- Bodily awareness has improved
- Strengthening your ability to relax
Connecting the mind and body unlocks opportunities to strengthen physical and mental well-being through the process of integration. Exercises in these classes combine mental focus with some form of body involvement, such as movement and breathing (or both!). Whether you’re on a tough six-day training schedule or simply dabbing, the mind and body and recovery classes offer something for everyone.
Some of the most common mind and recovery classes are yoga, pilates, bale or combinations. Through yoga poses, breathe like Warriors I and II, plaques, spine stretches, and refresh and rejuvenate as soon as the mat is put away.
Functional and exercise training classes
Functional fitness classes focus on strength training that helps your body perform daily activities. These exercises prepare you for daily real life actions such as bending, twisting, lifting, loading, pushing, pulling, squatting and transporting.
Think about the small, seemingly simple movements that leave your body all day, whether getting into a car, grocery shopping, laundry, or carrying small things from one room to another. These classes focus on exercises to make these small moves possible for the next few years. This is the biggest advantage of all of them!
Other potential benefits include:
- It facilitates physically demanding everyday activities
- Increases range of motion
- Relieves pain in the joints, back and muscles
- Strengthen the balance
- Improve the adjustment
- Increases endurance
- Elderly people are independent longer
Most functional fitness includes multi-joint movement patterns, including the knees, hips, spine, elbows, wrists and shoulders, all building strength and improving range of motion. It may sound simple, but being equipped to handle these movements is an important part of preventing injuries and maintaining health and quality of life with age.
There are a variety of functional and athletic training classes, including boot camp, agility training, or circuit workouts. Read the class description to see if it matches your unique goal. Also, if you are dealing with injuries or mobility control, let the instructor know before class starts so that you can change the exercise to suit your needs.
Tips for beginners
If you’re not used to the world of fitness classes, don’t worry. Fitness classes are designed to be inclusive, welcoming and accommodating. You are in a safe place. And you’ll probably be in good company with other newcomers.
Don’t know which class to try first? Our advice: Start with a beginner-friendly session and build confidence.
In the first few classes, you will listen to your body and go at your own pace, even at a different pace than your instructor or neighbor. Don’t forget that everyone is a beginner at some point! Learning new movements requires practice. Focus on getting your form down, focus on speed, and signal your instructor if you need help. You have this.
If you feel that you need more motivation, ask friends and colleagues to come with you. This creates an extra layer of accountability, helping you to increase your confidence once you enter the room and chat when the class is over.
If you feel a little more comfortable and confident, switch! A balanced fitness routine involves mixing classes and continuing your body to learn new techniques (and exercising different muscle groups). Try the best fitness goals, schedules and training styles.
If early mornings aren’t yours, or if your schedule doesn’t allow it, evening fitness classes can still fit your routine. Help them wrap before bed to choose a calmness like yoga or stretching. If you are an early riser who loves head start, morning workouts like Cardio or HIIT can give you a strong, energetic start to your day.
As you say: Never try, never know!
Find a fitness class community with Chews
Fitness classes are fun and effective ways to stay active. At Chuze Fitness, our goal is to make your workout a fun, accessible and affordable experience. Our classes are aimed at health enthusiasts at all levels of experience, so you have the opportunity to dive anywhere on your fitness journey.
From blood-infused body combat to relaxing yoga, we offer classes tailored to every goal and mood. Certified Certified Fitness Professionals will help you at every stage. And a welcoming community of like-minded people is here to lift you up until the last burpee.
So, what are you waiting for? Find your class and start your 7-day trial pass starting today.
source:
CNN. Remember when Jane Fonda revolutionized the movement with her leotards and leg warmers?
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/jane-fonda-workout-remember-hen/index.html
Pennsylvania Medical University. Introducing strength training. https://research.med.psu.edu/oncology-nutrition-exercise/patient-guides/strength-training/
webmd. hiit. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/high-intensience-interval-training-hiit