Get Social, Get Healthy: The benefits to working out in a group

Attendees of a group fitness class move to a soundtrack of country music at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau. The Osage Centre offers more than 30 group fitness classes.

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

Working out during the winter months can be a challenge: It gets dark outside earlier in the evening, and colder temperatures can keep you inside, curled up on your couch. Although it’s tempting to skip exercise during this time of the year, it’s as important as ever to both physical and mental health to persevere in staying active.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend people age 65 years old and older do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking each week, or 75 minutes each week of vigorous-intensity activity such as hiking, jogging or running. In addition, they recommend doing activities that strengthen muscles at least two days a week, as well as participating in activities that improve balance, such as standing on one foot.

If you’re hitting a workout burnout, group exercise classes could be a way to mix up your exercise routine while also making time to connect with others.

The benefits to exercising with other people go beyond the physical: The study “Regular Group Exercise Contributes to Balanced Health in Older Adults in Japan: A Qualitative Study” by BMC Geriatrics found working out regularly in groups contributed to “balanced health” in older adults in seven categories, including exercising with a group regularly, improving functional health, having an active mind, enjoying exercise, strengthening social connected- ness, gaining mutual support and feeling a sense of belonging in a community.

It could also help keep you out of the hospital: The 2022 University of Missouri study “Group Exercise Boosts Physical and Mental Health for Older Adults” found adults over age 60 who participated in instructor-led group exercise courses that lasted one hour twice a week for eight weeks “experienced improved muscle strength and flexibility, balance and coordination, sleep quality and self-confidence to increase physical activity,” while reducing the risk of falling and incurring the related medical bills.

Gyms throughout Southeast Missouri offer group fitness classes that can help locals gain these benefits, too. Janet Niedbalski participates in the Country Fuzion group fitness class at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau. She says it’s a good class to try if you enjoy music and dancing; although she says no one gets the moves down perfectly the first time, after a couple of classes, people remember it “just like that.”

“It’s good for your brain, it’s good for your memory, it’s good for your body, everything,” Niedbalski says.

Fawn Morgan also participates in the Country Fuzion group fitness class at the Osage Centre. She says it’s easier for her to get distracted or to find an excuse to skip working out when exercising at home, whereas working out in a group in a class setting is more fun.

“We’re all family here,” Morgan says. “We all goof off and have fun. It’s a group thing. We love it.”

Expanding your workout repertoire by attending group fitness classes can benefit you in these ways and more:

1. Have accountability for working out.

People participate in a Country Fuzion group fitness class at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau. If you're 65 years of age or older, check with your insurance provider to see if you are eligible for free gym membership.

Photo by Aaron Eisenhauer

If motivation is a barrier to exercising for you, working out regularly in a group setting can provide you with the stability and accountability to stick to a fitness routine. If you pencil a class or two into your schedule each week, you’re more likely to see it as a planned event you will follow through on your commitment to. The desire to show up to interact with the other people in the class and the teacher who will notice your absence if you’re not there can also serve as a motivator.

“It’s always rewarding seeing everyone and their progress, and they can talk about their barriers [to exercise], and [you find out] you’re not alone; everyone has challenges,” says Christine Jaegers, City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation fitness and wellness specialist. “It helps meeting other people who have been through the same things.”

2. Make new friends.

Exercising together is a great way to meet new people who are similarly committed to living a healthy lifestyle and can help you form genuine connections with others. Attending classes that utilize fun music and the types of activities you enjoy can also boost your enthusiasm for working out.

“We want exercise to be fun, not something that people dread,” Jaegers says.

3. Move different parts of your body.

Group fitness classes are led by certified instructors who specialize in different forms of movement you might not otherwise know how to try on your own;

this can help you move outside of your comfort zone to work different parts of your body that all need attention in order for you to maintain optimum health. The skills you learn in a group setting can then translate into individual workouts.

“You just show up. You don’t have to think about anything, you show up, you watch your instructor,” Jaegers says of group fitness classes. “What we teach you about there, you can use outside [on your own] in the gym.”

Are you eligible for free gym membership?

Many gyms throughout the region offer a diverse selection of group fitness classes; try out different ones until you find ways of moving that are fun to you.

If you’re 65 years of age or older, you may be eligible for free gym membership; call your insurance provider to see if you qualify for programs such as SilverSneakers, Renew Active, or Silver & Fit, which offer free online resources for physical and mental health, as well as free memberships at gyms near you. At the Osage Centre, for example, these programs give you free access to the more than 30 group fitness classes offered through the gym. These programs are available with select Medicare plans; utilize them to get moving, to open up new opportunities for yourself and to live your best life.