Should you consider joining in with community workouts?
There is a growing percentage of people gravitating towards working out in a community setting. These communities are both formally advertised and spread by word of mouth. But how do you know that they are right for you?
Well, first you can listen to the people who are already part of a workout community. Their level of excitement, the camaraderie and the results that they are seeing and feeling could be a positive indication that it might be right for you.
Where to find them
There are gyms or fitness centers that have both internal and external programs. The internal is where you travel to a physical location and participate in the programs based on your goals, either adult or children.
The external program is where the gym or fitness center takes their programs on the road locally and executes them at other places, like parks or office complexes.
A new experience ”“ not like joining a gym
Then there are fitness communities that offer a free workout (perhaps once a month) and tout that it is not like joining a gym. They promote that they are different, fun and help you move towards meeting your fitness goals in a new way. Of course they claim that what they offer works and that you can make new friends.
Also, the workouts can be modified based on your level and that they have competent trainers on board who will help you with technique and answer any workout related questions that you may have.
Community workouts online
Other types of community workouts are the online apps that offer you a variety of options. Some of these apps are connected to sites that charge you for the access and some are free.
Once you sign up, the site offers you support so that you can potentially have long term success. More than likely you will be exposed to other people of all sizes and fitness levels and a sense of community is present.
The focus is on succeeding together
One common thread of this type of setup is the desire to succeed and willingness to help each other!
Some of the sites might have a reward system based on your activity and commitment, where you could win prizes or they give you discounts on products in their online stores. This could help keep you motivated as it relates to your fitness goals.
Too many choices ”“ which one is right for you?
It would probably serve you well to shop around on these sites to see if any of them offer other perks like daily fitness articles or video fitness and/or nutrition tips.
These two features are usually backed by fitness trainers who provide the members with their tips and insight into the trending topics in fitness such as fat loss or maximizing your workout on a time budget. This could benefit the members by filtering through the sea of fitness and/or nutrition misconceptions.
Keep a few things in mind when choosing
Does the site offers live chat with the fitness trainers and your workout friends? Do they offer nutrition calculators which can provide you with valuable information such as how many macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) you need each day?
So the community workouts do offer a variety. But, based on how you like to workout, give a few of them a trial period to test them out!
