Group exercises, should you or shouldn't you?

Well it all depends on what fitness goals you have set for yourself. If you are a beginner, group exercises can be a great way to gather motivation and upkeep the momentum. Moreover if fitness for you is just another way of life to ensure good health, group exercises are not a bad option. However, for the more serious kinds, if there are certain fitness goals that need to be achieved within a timeline targeted for a specific purpose, then this is not for you. 

Like we have mentioned before, conversations around workouts are a day to day affair for folks at Zymrat. We ran a poll around to figure out what our team prefers. As it so turned out, the idea of group exercises is not so popular among us. 

But we are here to outline the advantages and disadvantages of what group exercises. We strongly believe in enabling you to take a decisive call. Let’s get started:

Pros

1. It imparts a sense of being answerable to a tribe. A set of people you face everyday.  
2. Group classes can function as doses of high energy after a long day at work. Over a period of time, it will become an activity that you look forward to everyday.
3. The brain can take a break from all the thinking work. There is an instructor who needs to be followed.
4. You can move at your own pace. If for some reason you are unable to keep up with the movements, try adjusting the number of reps and sets. 
5. One thing great about group exercise sessions is that they make room for new joinees. The movements are scaled up or down to suit the requirements of individuals. Thus they seem to be more accommodating. 
6. It is also a great place for kindling new friendships and interacting with people coming from different walks of life. 
7. You get to witness a multitude of approaches for the same idea. 

Cons

1. Group exercises are not for those who would demand or expect individual attention. The instructor will not be able to pay special heed to your form and movement. Only when you ask for it or land up with some injury is when they step in.
2. Some might get into their competitive shoes while being in group exercises. It may get intimidating sometime when you feel rushed and less successful.
3. If you have aced an movement completely and are ready for the next step up, you might have to wait. The group sessions are designed to keep each and everyone’s progress in tandem. 
4. Most of the time, the movements tend towards the basics in order to remain relevant for the larger number of people.
5. It all depends on the crowd. For some it may be a time to socialise more and workout less. This can be a huge turn down if you are quite serious about it.
6. Group exercises are not meant for specific and personal fitness goals.

You may consider group exercises a one size fits all deal. Though there is no harm in trying. You may sign up for a stipulated time of group exercises and then grow out of it once you feel you are ready for the more challenging movements. Moreover once in a while if you indulge in a group session, it can be a good break from the regular workout. It will seem as a nice break from the routine. It all depends at what point of life you are standing at, what are your physical, emotional and psychological requirements from life.