Workouts and exercise routines can often be extremely tiring, not just for the obese or for the first-timers, but also for people with great fitness levels. While we all eagerly await the much covetable final end that perfect fitness and perfect health can embody in us, the process itself can often be quite dreadful. Most people start their fitness journey charged with passion and determination. However, the process and the travel ahead sobers down the motivation levels, which, therefore, leads to withdrawing or quitting the idea halfway. And it is not simply because of the sweat (quite literally) of the hard work involved. Often, it is due to the fact that the process is a lonesome, mundane and – to put it plainly – sometimes a boring one. We try to supplement the dreary bleakness of our lonely gym routines by plugging the gaps with some motivating music, but even that gets tiring and on our own, we are quite inclined to give up midway.

A solution pill is obviously out of the question, but what is left? Well, group exercise is probably the only answer to such dilemma. While friends and groups usually remind us of night outs and binges instead of gymnasiums and treadmills, the powers of motivation from a group during exercise is actually quite tremendous and often underrated. Once you have decided to commit, experiment with local fitness sessions and exercise classes to find one that suits your needs. Classes that involve fitness circuits, cross country running, studio spinning, yoga, mixed martial arts and body pump are just a selection of the variety available.

You will soon find the process of toning down and losing weight, which can seem arduous by yourself, will actually turn out to be a fun experience. For one, it is much easier to skip and convince yourself or cutting corners when you are on your own. In a group of similarly motivated friends, however, there is a reliance and encouragement from each other which acts as a chain reaction and keeps everyone going.

In a group, one often realises that along with motivation, what can also be drawn over the time are a large number of great tips for losing weight. When meeting like-minded individuals or talking with friends, each person comes with his or her plethora of personal knowledge that can be combined and made even more stellar.

While motivation is the basic component that makes group exercises a huge success and helps you draw encouragement, the idea of sharing your small triumphs is also quite exhilarating. The mirror as the only friend to tell you that your efforts are producing results can be a little sad at times. Around a group, you can draw constant feedback about your progress and assure yourself that your efforts are not only getting results but even drawing attention from people. The idea then is to create a system that not keeps you going every day. The prospect changes from a very small scale “exercise” to a social gathering, a chance at interaction – of motivating and getting motivated. With a group to look forward to at every workout, the chances of your trying to convince yourself to opt out every now and then will go down drastically. In fact, group exercise also affords a healthy amount of competitive spirit that can boost your will to do better. This system then is the perfect support system that keeps you on track and focused while also treating you to positive comments at each step.

Are you a fan of group exercise or do you prefer to workout alone?

What is you favourite form of exercise to do as a group?

What kind of benefits have you seen from group exercise?