Sweat, Strength, and Community: My Journey with Group Fitness Classes in NYC

Daily physical activity offers a wealth of benefits, from boosting immunity to improving mental health. Fortunately, achieving these perks may require less time than you think.

According to the CDC, adults only need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week—this is equal to 30 minutes, five days a week. Additionally, two of those days should consist of muscle-building activities ¹

This means you don’t need to grind for hours a day in the gym to enjoy the health benefits of exercise.

As long as you’re consistent with a relatively moderate routine, you can achieve real results.

While there are countless ways to hit your daily 30 minutes, one stands out to me for its energy, structure, and sense of community: group fitness classes.

As a fitness enthusiast and Myprotein writer, I’ve been attending group fitness with a leading luxury fitness club in New York City for the past year.

Group fitness offers a unique exercise experience, providing motivation, fulfillment, and opportunity for growth.

With that said, many have yet to take the plunge and sign up for classes, intimidated by the unknown and unsure of where to start.

In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about group fitness, from a firsthand perspective.

You’ll learn about the variety of classes, how to navigate scheduling, what to expect from instructors, and more.

Let’s get into it.

Jump to:

• Why Choose Group Fitness?
• The Atmosphere: First Impressions
• What Types of Classes Are Offered?
• Group Fitness Culture
• FAQs
• Tips for Making the Most of Group Fitness

Why Choose Group Fitness?

Group fitness boasts some major perks that make it my top choice for workouts:

1. Instructors

In every class, you’re led by a professional. This means you’re being taught what to do and how to move by someone who knows the craft. This is super helpful when first starting out as you may have questions about form and muscle movements.

Similar to working with a trainer, when in class with an instructor, you have guidance throughout your workout. This makes the experience feel collaborative and provides a sense of support.

The instructors are encouraging and knowledgeable, and by allowing them to lead you, you can significantly improve.

2. Lively Atmosphere

Group fitness can be a lot more fun than an individual workout because you’re in an environment with other gym-goers who are all working toward similar goals. The group culture can be motivational and enjoyable, especially if you make friends and gain a class buddy.

3. Structure

Group fitness classes provide an organized structure and pace that allows you to focus and remain disciplined. There’s a warm-up, the workout, and a post-workout stretching period. This organization makes it easier to follow along and simply focus on the movements.

Additionally, when it comes to the pace, you’re naturally going to try your best to keep up. Thus, you’ll end up pushing yourself harder than you thought you could, which is super rewarding.

4. Accountability

When you sign up for group fitness classes, you have greater accountability than you would by simply going to the gym. This is because you made a commitment to attend class, and even if you don’t feel like going, you also don’t want to cancel. For me personally, this sense of commitment helps push me to go, even on those days when I’m just not feeling it.

5. Variety

With the large variety of classes, you can create a super varied and exciting routine for yourself. There’s always an opportunity to try new things and challenge your body in new ways. With countless creative options, group fitness encourages you to try a workout that may be out of your comfort zone and expand your capabilities.

6. Relationships

In group fitness, it’s easy to develop relationships with your instructors—they’re often professional, friendly, and happy to help.

One personal example is the relationship I developed with my sculpt and barre instructor. When I first began attending classes, I got to know one of my instructors—I attended both her body sculpt and barre classes. She would often give me tips after class along with words of encouragement, telling me I did a great job.

About six months into my group fitness journey, I attended a barre class with this same instructor. At the end of class, she said, “Wow! Your form has improved so much since you first started. Great work!” This small compliment made my day and not only gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment but made me feel guided, like my instructor is watching my progress and ensuring I succeed. It was a great feeling.

The Atmosphere: First Impressions

For my first group fitness class, I choose Barre. Barre is a low-impact workout that combines ballet, Pilates, yoga, and strength training to strengthen and tone the body. Barre is a full-body workout, and since I’ve always liked ballet, I thought it would be a good place to start.

I walked into class a few minutes early, giving me enough time to gather the proper equipment. For barre, you typically use a pair of light weights, a Pilates ball, and the ballet barre attached to the wall or a weighted body bar.

I quickly retrieved my equipment and found an empty yoga mat for myself. Class began on time and the instructor started by explaining what barre is and asking if anyone was new to the class—I raised my hand. The instructor seemed friendly and energetic but also disciplined and ready to work.

She went up in front of the class, played the upbeat, instrumental music, and began. We started things off with a warm-up and then went into the workout. I kept my eyes on the instructor who demonstrated each move.

I wasn’t familiar with the progressions or the movements, so it did feel fast-paced at first. However, I was able to get through the class, taking on my own variations when needed. Plus, the instructor came by and adjusted my form during class when necessary.

After class, I thanked the instructor and she reminded me that it’s always difficult at first, and that if I keep up with barre, the progressions will become easier for me.

Overall, I thought the class was challenging, fun, and motivational. I enjoyed being pushed hard, even if I couldn’t perfect every move yet.

Today, barre is one of my favourite classes and while I still find it challenging, I’m significantly more comfortable in the class.

What Types of Classes Are Offered?

Gyms that offer group fitness often have a wide variety of classes you can sign up for with their own unique benefits.

Here’s a general breakdown:

• Weight training
• Athletic training
• Metabolic conditioning
• Upper-body strength
• Lower-body strength
• Body sculpting

• Spin or cycling
• Dance cardio
• Running and treadmill
• HIIT

• Yoga
• Pilates
• Stretch and recovery
• Meditation

• Cardio dance
• Hip-hop
• Zumba

• Boxing
• Kickboxing
• Martial arts/boxing combo

• Barre
• Advanced Pilates
• Sculpted yoga

• Themed cycling
• Seasonal workshops
• Community challenges

If you’re afraid you won’t find what you’re looking for, I would say that’s unlikely. My personal favourites are Pilates, barre, and sculpt classes.

Group Fitness Culture

One of the major perks of group fitness is the culture and sense of community that comes with exercising in groups.

The instructors help foster an environment of inclusivity, welcoming gym-goers of all fitness levels to class.

Although classes can move quickly, you’ll find the instructors to be super supportive and helpful, which helps ease any anxieties you may have when first starting out.

Rather than feeling intimidating, the culture of group fitness is generally friendly and supportive.

Instructors encourage you to do what feels comfortable for your body and make adjustments to the movements as necessary. Plus, they remind you that you can always take a break if you need to.

Additionally, they’ll pass by and adjust your form (with your permission) during class as well as stay around after class to answer any questions or just chat.

Group fitness fosters a culture of mutual respect and shared interests—everyone is there trying to achieve a health or fitness goal.

Thus, even if you’re a total beginner, the collaborative and motivational environment makes it easy to adjust and become familiar with the different classes.

FAQs

How does scheduling work?

To attend any fitness class, you must sign up in advance. One way to consistently take classes is to become a member of a fitness club that offers them. Alternatively, there are various platforms you can sign up for that allow you to book a certain number of classes in different studios.

For group fitness, fitness studios and gyms will typically have an app or website that allows you to book the classes in advance. My gym allows you to book any class from 24 hours in advance to 5 minutes before class starts.

The further in advance you book your class, the more likely you are to get a spot. With that said, if you’re a member of a gym, it’s pretty rare that you wouldn’t get into a class because it’s full, but this does happen sometimes. If a class is already full, you may be able to get on a waitlist and see if a spot opens up, depending on the gym.

Keep in mind that when booking classes, most gyms or facilities will have policies regarding no-shows. In my gym, if you book a class and then don’t show up, you’ll receive a penalty. Once you have three penalties, you won’t be able to use the online booking system for a week. Gyms do this to hold members accountable and keep the booking system running smoothly.

Do you have to be a pro to take group fitness classes?

The answer to this is a hard no. While fitness classes may go at an advanced pace, the vast majority are welcoming to beginners. Instructors often provide encouragement and support and explain each move in detail.

Additionally, if you can’t perform a specific movement, there are always variations that can be done instead. Instructors advise you do what’s comfortable for your body and encourage class members to take a break if needed.

Will I see results with group fitness classes?

This depends on your goal. However, generally speaking, you can definitely see some great results in terms of lean muscle mass and fat loss by consistently attending group fitness. I myself have gained muscle and lost body fat by exclusively going to classes 4-5 times a week.

That being said, group fitness is ideal for those with flexible goals or who don’t have a specific fitness goal in mind. If you are trying to lose a specific amount of weight or gain significant muscle mass, it’s best to work with a trainer and see what he/she recommends for your specific goals.

Tips for Making the Most of Group Fitness

To make the most of your group fitness classes, here’s what I would recommend:

1. Arrive Early

Getting to class 10-15 minutes early gives you time to settle in, get your equipment, and pick your favourite spot. If you’re going to classes at prime gym time, around 5-6 PM, you’ll often be attending full classes. Thus, you’ll want to get in early so you can claim your spot.

2. Engage with Instructors

The fitness instructors are there to help you and usually hang around for a few minutes after class. This is the perfect time to ask any questions or get advice. Don’t be shy to talk to the instructors, they’re often super helpful and you can form meaningful relationships with them.

3. Dress Appropriately

To make the most of your classes, come in breathable workout clothes that allow for flexibility. Sweat-wicking material is best as you can definitely break a sweat. The go-to for women is a sports bra and leggings for classes, but as long as you’re comfortable, you can pretty much wear whatever you like.