What are the benefits of doing classes in person
One of the greatest benefits is that you’ve got an instructor-led class. So they’re someone who’s already done all the hard work for you, putting together a training regime that is going to give you the most out of that hours work or that half hours work depending on how long the class is.
They would have already set objectives for you to complete as you do the class. One of the great things about that is that they will have set a warm-up, a main area for you to work in and a stretch at the end so that you get a complete and all-round workout.
Depending on which style of class you’ve gone for whether it’s yoga, pilates one of the mind and body classes or maybe something more intense like a hit training class.
The great thing about having an instructor-led class is that there’s always someone there to keep an eye on you, and hopefully as all good instructors should do, they’re there to help you get the most out of the class to get you somewhere that you can’t get to by yourself.
Whether that means correcting your technique or giving you encouragement along the way to make sure that you can complete the class or maybe giving you adaptions to the exercises that are going along. So that you can get to the end. Without feeling like you have to stop anywhere in between. Unless it’s a designated point that you need to stop just to catch your breath and have a bit of recovery time.
The other great thing is to make sure that your technique is working really really well so that you can get the most out of your time working out. It’s about training smarter not necessarily harder or for longer. If you’re training and getting the best out of your technique you have to do less time in the gym or less time in the classes to get the most out of your workout
The other thing is it’s regular. Most classes are set to a timetable and you can find a class that fits in with your own timetable be that with work or family or other commitments that you might have. Because it’s regular you then get to go at a time that suits you.
One of the other things that’s really underrated with classes is the sociability aspect of the class. There are other people in the class. One of the great things about this is that you create a friendship group that’s within that.
You also get more accountability so it’s not just coming from the instructor but it’s also coming from the other members that are in the class. They are there to encourage and motivate you and there’s that little bit of competition of well If they can do it so can I.
There’s always someone better in a class than you. There’s always someone worse in a class than you, in your eyes. In an instructor’s eyes you’re all there to do the same class.
Ideally it’s a good time where you’re having the class and you’re also with those other people which are looking out for you as you’re looking out for them and offering encouragement all the way through.
A laugh and a giggle one thing that I’ve noticed is that during classes the sociability aspect actually opens up much larger than just the class itself. Many people that I’ve worked with through the years during classes have then extended that to going out and creating their own social circle outside of the classes.
This is really really good for mental health. The more we start to think about this and certainly after having the lockdowns that we’ve had in the last couple of years with the pandemic we’re now beginning to understand how important sociability is to each and every single one of us.
It’s great to be able to go out with friends. We then widen our social circle by meeting new people through the friends of friends as we all go out but those people keep us on track. They make the classes more fun.
There are so many classes out there now that you could literally find something that you like whether it’s yoga or pilates or stretch something that’s a bit calmer whether it’s something middle of the range whether it’s something dance-based or whether it’s something high-intensity level training. There is definitely something out there for everyone.
Martial arts based, running based, just hiit, training with weights, body pump.
There are loads of different companies out there producing so many different things you now have only got to find that one thing that makes you go “yeah i really look forward to that, I love doing that”
Couple that with an instructor that motivates you, is full of passion and that you go I want to see that instructor and I want to show them that I can do better than I did last week. There’s no better motivation than having been willing to be seen.
I know this myself I’ve been on training with different trainers and I remember being in a class uh with a thousand other instructors hoping that that instructor would see me and give me that little bit of praise. and they did and towards the end of the track it was hello Luke how are you? and it was great. It was one of those things that made me feel special and important, and it’s one of those things that that can keep you going back for more and more training.