Impact of group fitness on mental health

Is there an association between physical exercise and mental health? A recent study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal says yes. Not only that, the study found that even greater benefits are seen when fitness is performed in a group setting. Lower mental health burdens were reported in those that participated in team sports, in comparison to those who do exercises alone.

“Our finding that team sports are associated with the lowest mental health burden may indicate that social activities promote resilience and reduce depression by reducing social withdrawal and isolation, giving social sports an edge over other kinds.”
Dr. Chekroud

In hopes of increasing the mental health within your tribes, we’ve include ideas below on how to incorporate group fitness into your family, your work, or with your friends. Try out one or two of these ideas on a weekly basis to begin forming a routine around doing group activity.

At work: Walk together.

Spend a portion of your lunch break walking with your coworkers. Use this time to get your body moving mid-day and enjoy conversation with your coworkers while you get some steps in. If you’re able, get some extra flights of stairs in by taking the stairwell as a group.

At home: Take a day-trip.

Get out your hiking, biking, or swimming gear and take your family on a day-trip! Join together to exercise and spend quality time with your family. Make the day intentional by planning goals ahead of how far you’d like bike or how you can make a portion of your swimming day into a family workout.

With friends: Sign up!

Ever wanted to try a fitness class? For some of us, the thought of attending a fitness class alone may be nerve wracking. Instead of going alone, attend a group fitness class with a few of your friends. (Many of our Anytime Fitness gyms offer group training!) Get the competition going with your friends and keep the energy high by cheering them on as they push through the last movements in the workout.