Staying physically active is very important if you want to stay healthy and fit. Most people don’t get enough exercise at their workplace, which is why there are so many gyms.
They provide a valuable service like a fitness class to people who need additional exercise.
However, if you are just joining a gym, or planning to join one, you may feel a bit intimidated by the sheer number of different classes and types of exercises.
How do you know which one is right for you and that you will get the desired result? Follow this article to learn more about the most common classes and what their benefits are, so you can choose the right fitness class for you.
How to Pick the Right Fitness Class
Cycling Class
Cycling in itself is great for your health, but if you want to get the best out of what it has to offer, you should consider joining a cycling class. These classes typically simulate a variety of terrains, cycling styles and, difficulty settings.
Most of these are accompanied by motivating music and an instructor who can guide you through the class. This kind of exercise can be a great calorie burner, burning as much as 300 calories.
Its main purpose is building endurance and bulking up your lower body muscles as well as the core. It’s not my personal favorite fitness class because of how physically demanding it is, but if you can do it I encourage it.
It will certainly keep you in shape.
Combat Training
If you need to let out some steam, you may be interested in a combat-style exercise class. Essentially, this cardio exercise type uses punching and kicking inspired by boxing and kickboxing to bolster your stamina and flexibility.
This kind of exercise is typically high intensity and is not recommended for beginners, due to a possibility of injury. This kind of exercise can burn as much as 700 calories per session, so you should be ready for intensive and challenging sessions.
It is optimal for building lean muscles and toning the existing musculature.
Yoga
If you are not looking to put yourself through rigorous training and exhausting exercises, there are some things you can do for your body with less effort.
Yoga may seem like a lot of sitting and lying without much point to an outsider, but it has been carefully perfected through the ages to require minimal effort and produce maximum results.
Depending on the type of yoga you are interested in, you can achieve anything from strengthening your core to improving your flexibility to really challenging your endurance for more advanced courses.
Swimming and Water-Based Classes
There are numerous health and fitness benefits of swimming that have been proven over and over again, so if you need to improve your breathing and overall fitness levels, there are hardly any better exercises than swimming.
However, if you are looking to expand on your basic swimming training, there are plenty of water-based classes you can take up in your gym.
You can increase the difficulty of your everyday training sessions by adding the water resistance into the mix.
Cardio exercises like running can be additionally bolstered by water.
All-Round Exercise
If you are not in search of any specific type of exercise, but just want to do right by your body, many gyms offer classes which can help you achieve that in a safe and controlled way.
These classes tend to offer a combination of cardio and weight exercises, as well as any other kind of exercise you feel you need.
Whatever your reason for joining a gym is, make sure that the gym you pick has the right fitness class and equipment for you. And most importantly, make sure that you feel comfortable enough in it.