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Everything Fitness vs. Everything Delicious: The Effectiveness of Group Fitness Classes Stacey Myers smyers39@uncc.edu University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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Background: Me, Myself, and Everything Delicious When asked to choose a topic of interest related to my figured world, the group fitness room, I instantly began to think about the effectiveness of exercising when attempting to lose a significant amount of weight. As a pre-kinesiology major, I love everything fitness. I naturally have the urge to workout constantly. But I also love to eat! On the other hand, I plan to use my major to become an athletic therapist and find it important to be an example to patients. An athletic therapist specializes in preventing, recognizing, managing and rehabilitating injuries and oversees the total health care for the athlete. So nutrition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is necessary for a healthy functional athlete. But I like many others find a hard time maintaining the balance between exercise and the scrumptious, luscious, delicious taste of food. Although I go to the gym regularly and engage in intensive cardio training, I have struggled with maintaining my weight and begin to question if exercise alone is substantial. I have tried many different exercise workouts; I have found the easiest and most effective workouts have been in group fitness class. Group fitness classes are exhilarating, social environments that allow participants to be active by providing them gratifying motivation.1 There are several group fitness classes with different objectives that offer varying results. Yoga, for instance, focuses on the mind and body while strengthening the core. Although weight loss may not be the ultimate goal, participates may come to tone the body or relax the mind. In contrast, Zumba is known for its ability to burn considerable calories in an exuberant environment. Being a Zumba instructor, I prefer Zumba to burn calories towards weight loss; I recommend classes such as super abs to target a specific area. Nonetheless, over time either boredom arises or the results begin to decrease and one may ask, Am I wasting my time? I intend to explore the effectiveness of exercising, specifically researching regularly attending group fitness classes as a way of training.

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Furthermore, who are the people who really need to lose weight and can they afford group fitness classes? In most fitness facilities, group fitness classes are not free of charge. And even if group fitness classes are effective, some individuals may prefer to work alone or with a personal trainer. Lastly, group fitness classes tend to occur at a scheduled time. So classes may not fit with everyones daily lifestyle. Ultimately, with my knowledge of the fitness world and interest in group fitness classes, I will conduct research to identify the effectiveness, benefits, and disadvantages of group fitness classes. Literature Review: Have My Cake and Eat It Too Why should anyone attend group fitness classes? Not only are group fitness classes an engaging means to stay active but the large variety of classes also decreases the chance of an individuals energy expenditure decreasing. Because there are a plethora of classes to choose from, an individual is less likely to get bored and disengage from exercising. I observed the group fitness room at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, on three different occasions. The classes I observed included: Super Abs, a cardio-based class that targets the core; Zumba, a dance aerobics class that utilizes music to create a motivating environment; and Yoga, a mind and body fitness class; to illustrate how fitness classes differ and the different people they attract. These observations are significant to my issue because they can address how different group fitness classes can appeal to a wider range of people.2 Also the non-conventional method of exercising allows individuals to familiarize themselves with workout techniques while still enjoying themselves.1 In the video Benefits of Group Fitness, Wilson explains that many gym members do not know how to construct a complete or effective workout. Wilson suggests joining a group fitness class to avoid running on treadmills when unaware of how to form a proper workout. Through group fitness classes,

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Wilson states, participants become more aware of workout options and enjoy exercising in the class. Mike, Wilsons Personal trainer, claims that group fitness classes are very effective because it serves as a motivator for the participant, and is a comfortable, social environment that effectively pushes the participant.3 So, group fitness classes can be an effective approach to assist an individual with maintaining their weight by motivating them to attend class regularly Literature Review: Subtracting the Delicious with Fitness What are potential disadvantages to group exercise programs that cause them to be less effective? Although group exercise sessions tend to promise fun social settings that guarantee great results, they lack adequate attention towards the individual. This causes form to be overlooked. Improper form leads to injuries.4 It is the instructors responsibility to always be concerned with their participants safety, but all instructors are not required to have a group fitness class certification. All people that may choose to participate in a group fitness class are not on the same fitness level. Yet, a group fitness class cannot be adjusted to accommodate 20 to 30 people. For this reason, first time participants withdraw from fitness classes. The tempo could be too fast, or one may struggle with coordination. In either case, sessions are not structured to enable the instructor to constantly help the many participants with varying differences. Technical errors can occur within a workout that decreases the maximum results able to be obtained. Proper form would be an example. Also, In Sullivans article Oops- Proof your workout, he claims that weight loss from exercising is minimal if not accompanied by dieting and proper techniques and list facts to refer to. 5Nevertheless, this article is significant to my issue because it address error in the workout as a variable that decreases the effectiveness of weight loss from exercising and provides strategies to eliminate those errors.

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Another factor that can affect an individuals success when participating in group exercise classes is being able to recognize when the body had conformed to a workout. Plateau No More by Zelman addresses why workouts are not as effective over a period of time. Zelman states that the body will plateau. She defines this state as when the body reaches a comfort zone. Group fitness classes are an example because they generally repeat the same routines throughout multiple sessions. Zelmans article provides a hypothesis to why exercising can be a difficult and long process when trying to achieve weight loss.6 Literature Review: This Or That How do group fitness classes compare to One-on-one training? In contrast to group fitness classes, one-on-one training places complete focus on the individual. This increases correct form and decreases the likelihood of an injury occurring. Training with a professional allows the individual to get a customized workout towards their needs and at their own tempo. This can provide a less intimidating environment that may be more fun for the partaker. 4 How do group fitness classes compare to personal workouts? Working out alone allows for flexible hours. One never has to worry about missing a session or finding a session to fit their schedule. When working out alone, one may even finish quicker than they would with a partner. But the individual may not be motivated and will likely rush through the workout decreasing its effectiveness.4 Lastly, what are the advantages and disadvantages of working out with a partner in comparison to those of group fitness classes? A partner can serve as a great motivator because competition pushes individuals towards higher goals and can potentially exceed them. When coordinating to work out with a partner, people are least likely to skip workouts and can schedule around one anothers agendas. And mostly, you will have more fun working out when you are

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socially suffering together. However, when working out with a partner, socializing can delay the workout and waste time.7 Literature Review: Sweat is Fat Crying Can group fitness class be effective as the only source of burning fuel? For the maximum results to occur from exercising, food intake must be balance and the workout must be proofed. Food intake is energy or fuel intake. For weight loss to occur, it is necessary for the energy expenditure to be greater than the energy intake. This is harder than it seems. In the article Exercise alone is not enough: weight loss also needs a healthy (Mediterranean) diet, the authors investigate a study to confirm if exercise without diet can result in substantial weight loss. The authors conclude that for weight loss to occur there must be energy balance. Energy balance refers to the relationship between physical activity and energy intake. This journal is significant to my issue because it suggest that a healthy diet is required in junction with exercise to loss weight and provides data to conclude with exercise alone is not enough. 8 To put these statements in context consider the following example, when in a buffet style setting like Crown Commons, an individual can quickly consume 1000 calories in less than 30 minutes. On the other hand, in a group fitness class it takes at least 1 hour for the average individual to burn 600 calories. Thus Caudwell claims, there is a biological mismatch between the rates at which the body can ingest and expend energy[individuals] fail to make the appropriate adjustments to both of these behaviors that are necessary to achieve a negative energy balance.4 This causes exercise regiments to be less successful. Subsequently, according

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to this journal I will have to put down the doughnuts and milkshakes if I am relying on a negative energy expenditure value to result in a decrease in initial weight. Entering the Conversation: Me, Myself, and Everything Fitness I love group fitness classes! Although one cannot expect to lose 1 pound in one week, I believe they can expect to be satisfied and want to come back. That is the goal! Group fitness classes motivate individuals to get active and stay active. By adding a regular exercise regiment to ones daily routine they are changing their mindset that exercising is important. This change in mindset is the beginning to begin successful in losing substantial weight. In the same sense, group fitness classes are not for everyone. Since conducting research I understand that personal workout preferences may conflict with the structure of a group fitness class. And for first time fitness partakers, a group fitness setting can be intimidating and discouraging. Can everyone afford group fitness classes? Well, no. Fortunately, as a college student I have access to more than one on-campus gym. But for the average person a gym membership may range add up to several hundred dollars a year. This is a disadvantage to those that would benefit the most from the classes. As a regular gym member, I have participated in all four types of workouts mentioned: group fitness classes, one-on-one training, working out alone, and working out with a partner. I found one-on-one training the less effective because they were more costly and only for a short period of time. I realized that working out with a partner is just a motivating and more flexible .But I also have moments when I want to work out alone. Exercise is known to release endorphins that result in a more energetic and vibrant mood. So, during random urges to

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exercise, working out alone is convenient. But still, group fitness classes are my favorite when exercising. Conclusion: Lets Wrap this Up With obesity increasing, this issue is important to discuss as a possible solution for the most effective weight loss approach. This topic introduces Group fitness classes as a motivator to get active and a routine to stay active. By educating the public, a decrease in failed diets and workout routines will occur and an increase in physical activity will result.
"What conversations are most useful in the my figured world? Considering how health

programs can be made available to a wider range of people should be introduced into conversations. A workout should not be deemed effective if it is not reaching the right demographics. Maintaining weight is great, but getting healthy first is the bigger picture. Making exercise programs more accessible will affect other fields. Medical patients can benefits from further research of using group fitness classes. Not only will the medical field change but also the school system. In many levels of schooling, students are commonly judge on how they look and what they wear. Some students are treated poorly because of how much they weight. The clothes a person has and how much they weight begins to affect how much value they are deemed to have. By implementing effective group fitness classes in the school system, we can begin to eliminate bullying associated with how people look. It has the potentially to create more pleasant and comfortable learning conditions that will lead to an increase in reported grades.

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Works Cited

1.

Wilson R. Benefits of group fitness.[web video].2013.Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM-Vw5arDgM

2.

Myers SJ. Figured world observation notes. [Word doc]. Available at

https://moodle2.uncc.edu/mod/assignment/view.php?id=123015. Accessed October 4, 2013

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Curioni CC, Loureno PM. Long-term weight loss after diet and exercise: a

systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond). 2005;29(10):1168-74.Available at: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803015. Accessed October 8, 2013. 4. Workout Loft. Why group fitness classes and bootcamps do not match

professional one on one training.2013. Available at: http://www.workoutloft.com/blog/tag/disadvantages-of-group-fitness-classes/.2013. Accessed October 24, 2013.

5.

Sullivan J. Oops- Proof your workout. Fitness Magazine. Available at:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/tips/expert-advice/oops-proof-your-workout/. Accessed October 8, 2013. 6. Zelman KM. Weight loss: Plateau no more. Weight loss & diet plans. Available

at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/plateau-no-more. Accessed October 8, 2013.

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7.

Harris R. Work out alone or in a group (quick review).[Web Video].2013.

Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl7_IvfAnVw. Accessed October 23, 2013.

8.

Caudwell P, Hopkins M, King NA, Stubbs RJ, Blundell JE. Exercise alone is not

enough: weight loss also needs a healthy (Mediterranean) diet?. Public Health Nutr. 2009;12(9A):1663-6. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980009990528. Accessed October 8, 2013.

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Fitzgibbons L. Thinking about a diet? Don't bother. PsycCRITIQUES.

2008;53(24). Available at: 10.1037/a0012032.Accessed October 8, 2013. 10. Smith M. The science of weight loss.[Web Video].2013. Available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7hvtEYbf4U Accessed October 17, 2013. 11. ACE. Group fitness instructor certification. Available at:

http://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/group-fitness-certification/default.aspx. Accessed October 24, 2013.