5 Reasons Why Small Group Training & Wearable Tech is the Latest Trend in Fitness
by Adam Toffan, M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CEP
Assistant Fitness Testing & Assessment Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba
Small Group Training and Wearable Technology top the Association of Fitness Studios “2018 Top Fitness Studio Trends Report”. The ASF’s annual survey of its membership has found that Small Group Training and Wearable Technologies continue to grow across the industry. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. It Keeps You Coming Back
Many people have a hard time pushing themselves to get to the gym and, once in the gym, pushing hard enough to maximize the health benefits. Training with a partner or in a small group helps improve adherence, motivation and results! Someone is less likely to skip a session when they know someone is expecting them. The small group also provides more attention while in the workout. In small group fitness classes or personal training, you get extra attention from the instructor since there are fewer people for the instructor to focus on. The small group also creates a sense of camaraderie as you get a chance to know everyone in the group. Sharing the workout with a group helps enhance the experience and makes it more enjoyable.
2. Partnership & Friendly Competition
Finding an adequate training partner or group also helps to motivate. If your group includes people who are equal or close in fitness, you can support and push each other - perhaps with a little friendly competition! In a small group class or partner personal training scenario, it is also often much more economical than one-on-one personal training. With increased motivation, attention and support comes results! With a partner or small group, you improve the quality of the workout and push yourself harder than you may on your own. That extra effort results in increased fitness!
3. Maintaining Exercise Intensity
Another way to make sure your workouts have appropriate intensity is through wearable technology such as heart rate monitors. Heart rate monitors can help you find and maintain the appropriate exercise intensity for health and fitness benefits. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for adults age 18-64 recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity. Moderate to vigorous intensity is defined as 55-90% of heart rate max. So, while you might be moving enough, you may not be moving with enough intensity to attain health benefits.
4. Having a Personal Digital Assistant
The heart rate monitor almost acts as a partner in the sense that is provides immediate feedback regarding your effort and helps push you to work harder. You can track your progress and the feedback can help keep you progressing. As your fitness improves, the stress on the heart decreases for a given workload and it starts to feel easier. For example, if you start running at 6mph, this might be challenging when you start your program and achieve a moderate heart rate. As your fitness improves, your heart rate required for that pace of run will go down. As a result, the intensity decreases and the benefits are reduced. Wearing a heart rate monitor will help you know when to change the intensity of your workout to achieve the proper effort.
5. Avoid Overexertion
While heart rate monitors can ensure you exercise hard enough, it can also help indicate when you need to slow down. Your heart health helps determine your ability to recover from exercise. For people, a designated recovery time between bouts may not be appropriate. You may be best served to let your heart tell you when you have recovered enough to exercise again. Also, one symptom of general over-training is an increase in resting heart rate or increased heart rate for a given workload. So if you notice your heart rate is responding differently, either at rest or to exercise, it could be a sign that you have cumulative under recovery.
To maximize your effort and get the most out of your sessions, it is extremely beneficial to invest in a heart rate monitor or find a small group or partner to keep you motivated and focused!
Click HERE to see U of M Recreation Services selection of Small Group Training classes and get started today!
Assistant Fitness Testing & Assessment Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba
Small Group Training and Wearable Technology top the Association of Fitness Studios “2018 Top Fitness Studio Trends Report”. The ASF’s annual survey of its membership has found that Small Group Training and Wearable Technologies continue to grow across the industry. Here are 5 reasons why:
1. It Keeps You Coming Back
Many people have a hard time pushing themselves to get to the gym and, once in the gym, pushing hard enough to maximize the health benefits. Training with a partner or in a small group helps improve adherence, motivation and results! Someone is less likely to skip a session when they know someone is expecting them. The small group also provides more attention while in the workout. In small group fitness classes or personal training, you get extra attention from the instructor since there are fewer people for the instructor to focus on. The small group also creates a sense of camaraderie as you get a chance to know everyone in the group. Sharing the workout with a group helps enhance the experience and makes it more enjoyable.
2. Partnership & Friendly Competition
Finding an adequate training partner or group also helps to motivate. If your group includes people who are equal or close in fitness, you can support and push each other - perhaps with a little friendly competition! In a small group class or partner personal training scenario, it is also often much more economical than one-on-one personal training. With increased motivation, attention and support comes results! With a partner or small group, you improve the quality of the workout and push yourself harder than you may on your own. That extra effort results in increased fitness!
3. Maintaining Exercise Intensity
Another way to make sure your workouts have appropriate intensity is through wearable technology such as heart rate monitors. Heart rate monitors can help you find and maintain the appropriate exercise intensity for health and fitness benefits. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for adults age 18-64 recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity. Moderate to vigorous intensity is defined as 55-90% of heart rate max. So, while you might be moving enough, you may not be moving with enough intensity to attain health benefits.
4. Having a Personal Digital Assistant
The heart rate monitor almost acts as a partner in the sense that is provides immediate feedback regarding your effort and helps push you to work harder. You can track your progress and the feedback can help keep you progressing. As your fitness improves, the stress on the heart decreases for a given workload and it starts to feel easier. For example, if you start running at 6mph, this might be challenging when you start your program and achieve a moderate heart rate. As your fitness improves, your heart rate required for that pace of run will go down. As a result, the intensity decreases and the benefits are reduced. Wearing a heart rate monitor will help you know when to change the intensity of your workout to achieve the proper effort.
5. Avoid Overexertion
While heart rate monitors can ensure you exercise hard enough, it can also help indicate when you need to slow down. Your heart health helps determine your ability to recover from exercise. For people, a designated recovery time between bouts may not be appropriate. You may be best served to let your heart tell you when you have recovered enough to exercise again. Also, one symptom of general over-training is an increase in resting heart rate or increased heart rate for a given workload. So if you notice your heart rate is responding differently, either at rest or to exercise, it could be a sign that you have cumulative under recovery.
To maximize your effort and get the most out of your sessions, it is extremely beneficial to invest in a heart rate monitor or find a small group or partner to keep you motivated and focused!
Click HERE to see U of M Recreation Services selection of Small Group Training classes and get started today!
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